RETROGRADE (138)

The picture opens to a shot from inside of the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas! Neon pink and blue lasers shoot in all directions as “No Easy Way Out” by Robert Tepper plays throughout the arena. Tonight was a special night. Throughout the years 4CW has been in business, non-stop you should note, there have been many match types that 4CW has built its brand around. Tonight we honor those match types as we rewind the clocks and travel back in time! The camera cuts to ringside where the area is dark, lasers zipping by and fog surrounding the ring. Inside, three bodies stand in the darkness, appearing to be nothing but silhouettes for the time being. At the announcers booth, Steve Johnson and Vinny Vassa sit underneath a pink light shining down onto them.

JOHNSON: ”Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to 4CW’s Retrograde! I’m your host, Steve Johnson, and this man beside me is no one other than Vinny Vassa!”

VASSA: ”Welcome to the show folks as we come to you live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas!”

JOHNSON: ”We have an exciting night in store for you all.”

VASSA: ”Let’s not forget that we also have a very ‘spessal’ guest host for the evening.”

JOHNSON: ”That we do! The oldest name still kicking in 4CW will host tonight’s event and that name belonging to one Jason Cashe.”

VASSA: ”The ‘Troubled One’ is running the show tonight, live from his hometown stomping grounds!”

JOHNSON: ”Before we jump into the action, our ‘spessal’ host has a very, very special opening for tonight’s event.”

VASSA: ”What was at first declared as the pre-show to tonight’s activities, is now none other than what you could call out opening act!”

JOHNSON: ”It’s different, but being the host of the show comes with a little bit of authority in production.”

The lights at ringside then come to life, illuminating everything in sight. The camera turns to the ring where Jason Cashe stands in the center with two familiar faces on each side of him.

JOHNSON: ”Kicking things off in our ‘pre’ opening match of the evening, we have an animal lover of sorts, Freedumb, squaring off with the one and only–“

VASSA: ”BIG BAD DANNY GORDY AND TONIGHT THE FORCOT IS CALLING FOR PAIN!!!”

JOHNSON: ”That’s forecast.”

VASSA: ”That’s easy for you to say! You still have your teeth and can eat potato chips!”

Both me already in the ring, there wasn’t a need for entrances for jobbers even if they were the best jobbers in wrestling. The “Spessal” Referee, Jason Cashe was all professional looking in his pinstripes like they were hiring any old bum to referee a wrestling match.

DING!!! DING!!!

The bell sounds to start the match and both Freedumb and Gordy slow approach one another at the center of the ring. Like two icons meeting for the first time but that wasn’t the case for either man.

DING!!! DING!!!

Referee Cashe calls for the bell again and motions for them to get it on! Yet they don’t, they just stand there arguing.

Cashe steps between them as they start to go nose to nose. Pushing Freedumb back, he snaps at Cashe who responds with a quick elbow to the jawline. Freedumb stumbles back and Cashe leaps forward, cracking him with a “Mark of JASON” that crumbles him down to the canvas. The bell sounds again as Gordy looks happy.

DING!!! DING!!! DING!!!

POWERS:“Winner by way of Disqualification… FFRREEEEDDUUMMBB!!!”

Gordy’s premature celebration ends quickly as he turns around instantly filled with rage for what Cashe had cost him.

POW!!!

Cashe had rushed across the ring, sprang from the ropes and delivered yet another “Mark of JASON” this time to Gordy. Now both men were down and out. Jaws loosened, Gordy even has his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. Cashe explodes in an adrenaline rush as the crowd roars with excitement! Pulling Gordy to the center of the ring, Cashe turns him onto his back. Then grabbing Freedumb and laying him in a “69” position over Gordy. The crowd laughs, Cashe points and giggles.

VASSA:“I believe someone is going six-nine on the other!”

JOHNSON: “That’s the joke!”

Cashe dips from the ring and heads over to a cameraman nearby. He was going to make the most of his Hosting gig here tonight in Houston, Texas as he takes over a camera and enters the live audience. Showing off some of the signs to officially kick off the show!

TWITTER BLOCK
GAME STRONG

OOPS THEY
CHANGED
IT AGAIN

PHE CHECK OUT
MY CENSOR BUBBLE

YOU SHOULD SEE
WHAT DOESNT MAKE
IT TO THE MATCH

KISS MEEE
I’M KOREAN

TWO MINUTES
TO BUST ONE

The camera view then cuts back to the booth where Steve Johnson and Vinny Vassa sit, watching in amusement.

VASSA: ”Oh man, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to continue opening the show, Steve.”

JOHNSON: ”I’m with you on that! I was expecting so much more from a self proclaimed legend but Danny Gordon has proven to be nothing but a joke.”

VASSA: ”Cashe just checked him like he was caught red handed stealing a car and then crashing it head on into a snow bank!”

JOHNSON: ”As if he was taken out back by his mother and bent over her knee after being caught with his hand in the offering plate!”

VASSA: ”Well that’s out opening festivities for the evening folks. Now it’s time to gear up and move to the real show, the show you all came here to see… RETROGRADE!!!”

JOHNSON: ”We have an exciting lineup in store for you all tonight. You all are very aware of the matches on deck for the evening and the championships at stake.”

VASSA: ”We have the Octane, The Tag Team, The XTV, The Pride, and the 4CW Championships all on the line and under one roof right here in Houston, Texas!”

JOHNSON: ”We’re going back in time tonight here at the Toyota Center. Buckle your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen, because it’s going to be a bumpy ride!”

Mere moments away from her title defense, Kaz Bonham is pacing back and forth, a hint of nervousness on her face. She’s focusing on her breathing and clutching the Octane Championship on her shoulder. It seems that the neon, Southern belle Kaz is back as she notices the camera and puts on a big, nervous smile for it

BONHAM:“A flamin’ tables match, huh, gang?”

She rubs the back of her neck and keeps that awkward forced smile.

BONHAM:“I guess I can say I’m ready for it…that I’m ready to put Bryan Laughlin through fire to keep this championship on my shoulder, but the truth, y’all? I don’t know if I’m ready for that…we ain’t gonna know until that bell rings I reckon. But I didn’t know if I was ready for that barbed wire cage match…and here we are.”

Kaz starts to settle down a bit, her wide awkward smile just becoming a normal wide smile.

BONHAM:“There ain’t any time left to start second guessin’ what I can and, like, can’t do. I’ve done so much to get this belt and I’m gonna do even more to keep it. Laughlin can be his scary self, he can try and act like I’m terrified of him…but I’m not. Not anymore. Not since he showed his true colors to the world. Why bother, y’all?”

A scoff from Kaz as her smile dies down.

BONHAM:“I saw the Devil and I saw his cowardice. I beat him at his strongest and I witnessed him at his weakest as he attacked QT…the only thing I’m scared for tonight? I’m scared to find out what lengths I’ll go to in order to keep the Octane Championship because this match ain’t just about it, it ain’t just about me…it’s about everyone on Octane. All the folks you slapped in the face with your actions…”

A genuine look of disrespect shows on Kaz’s face as she shakes her head.

BONHAM:“You can tarnish your image, you can, like, tarnish your legacy, Laughlin…but I ain’t lettin’ you tarnish Octane too. Too many folks put their own blood, sweat, and tears in an attempt to help make this brand an equal to Adrenaline…yourself included, but you’ve turned your back, Bryan. A lot of folks show their arrogance, their selfishness, and I reckon I ain’t any exception to that.”

She shrugs her shoulders with a half smirk forming.

BONHAM:“But the way you did it? The hatred that you showed? You were tryin’ to send me a message, but if you want to brutalize someone…you brutalize me. You don’t take the coward’s way out, but I get why you did it. You did it, Bryan, because you knew you don’t have what it takes to put me down.”

And just like that, the cheerful smile is back again.

BONHAM:“And you won’t have what it takes to put me through a table tonight.”

The confidence in Kaz’s system channels through her voice.

BONHAM:“Same rodeo, different setting, y’all. I’m walkin’ out of Retrograde with the Octane Championship around my shoulder and honestly?”

She looks at the Octane Championship briefly before looking back at the camera.

BONHAM:“There ain’t a damn thing you can do about it, Bryan.”

The serious Kaz Bonham is there once again as she heads off, ready for the biggest title defense of her career thus far as the camera cuts elsewhere.

Entering from ringside, Jason Cashe had gotten lost in the live audience after his Referee gig. Quickly the cameras are on him as he steps into the back through the curtains, he was the Host of the entire show afterall!

CASHE:”Oh is this where I give a rundown of the festivities tonight? Do some promotional shit for this Title match or that one? How rivalries have made another stop before continuing along or ending altogether? Well ain’t nobody got time for that!”

Moving to leave the cameras behind him, Cashe stops and turns back. An idea has sprung in his head as the expression on his face with widened eyes shows it.

CASHE:”Tonight there is a whole lotta shit going down! Tonight you will see matches you might vote for on a poll at the end of the year! You will see moments remembered by so and so when they are old and grey looking back on their careers. You will see shortcomings and bad decisions costing people titles and their dignity. Life takes a shit on your chest. Not the hard chunky brick kind that doesn’t leave no real residue. Its that shit that drips after the faucet turns off. Leaky bottom stuff! Them Booty Drips! Trust me, I’ve been there too.”

Pulling his hands up in front of him. He shows them to the cameras. Turns them over to see the backs of them.

CASHE:”I’ve done plenty here in 4CW. Even in losses I go big. I make it fun, I make it a fight. Here’s a freebee for you out there watching my mouth movements. I have had my biggest success early on in a promotion. APW, along with a few more names took it from indy to becoming the sister show to a company that at one time hosted an event with more than 100 active wrestlers in one match. Even here, in 4CW. I was Champion when only Jair Hopkins or at the time of my last run, Felicity Banks was competition. My reign as Tag Champions probably only came because of who my partner was. You cannot BUY chemistry people. Its there, its forced or you just don’t have it.”

CASHE: ”My Extreme run was nothing to even mention. Laughlin was the best match I had then and the only reason to even look back on it. The POINT is that these hands have done a lot. But that was BEFORE the competition turned any shallow end of the water into a deep end. Now what am I doing? Hosting a show? Refereeing a Pre-show match?”

Scoffing at the notion. He knew he was offered a match but turned it down. It wasnt to him, deserved.

CASHE:”So now, here tonight? I get into a lane that these hands you see in front of me haven’t been in before. With these hands I will climb..”

Clenching his hands closed, he makes a fist with both of them.

CASHE:”Grasp at every new height as I climb through the ranks here. The best competition, the best talent in what we DO as Professional Wrestlers. That’s what others call it. That’s why companies like WWH fear losing talent to 4CW. But when we lose someone, we just keep going. I will climb. To add the proper theme to all this.. DON’T CALL IT A COME BACK! I been here for years… Enjoy the show. It starts here!”

Pointing to the ground but meaning this event. Jason Cashe then begins to clap. Not a fast clap but a slow and steady clap.

JOHNSON: “We’re back here at ringside ladies and gentlemen for our first official match of the evening.”

VASSA: “Watch out folks, Octane is coming straight to your televisions and it’s not even Friday Night!”

JOHNSON: “Coming up next we have the rematch between the former Octane Champion, Bryan Laughlin, and the current Octane Champion, Ms. Kaz Bonham.”

VASSA: “These two ripped each other to shreds in their first match which was a barbed wire cage if I remember correctly.”

JOHNSON: “Tonight isn’t going to get any easier for them as this match just so happens to be a Flaming Tables Match!”

VASSA: “We haven’t seen one of these in 4CW since Jason Cashe and Cyrus Riddle burned the house down at Ante Up nearly two years ago!”

JOHNSON: “It returns tonight with the top title from Octane on the line, with two of Octane best wrestlers going head to head in the ring tonight, only here on Retrograde.”

VASSA: “I wonder where the Octane announcers are for this match.”

JOHNSON: “It’s funny that you mention that. I’m assuming that you didn’t get the company email earlier today about the situation.”

VASSA: “Oh? Whatever do you mean?”

JOHNSON: “It appears that earlier this week you sent crude messages to each of the announcers, threatening them that if they came here tonight that you would ruin their careers.”

VASSA: “OH MY GOD STEVE I DID NOT!!!”

JOHNSON: “I saw the screen shots, Vinny.”

VASSA: “Look it. I was just telling them that this is my– I mean our show tonight. They can have their little fun on Octane but I refuse to share the booth with them. And I’m damn sure not going to leave my seat for any of them. That hot little blonde can sit on my lap but that’s about it!”

JOHNSON: “And on that note we’re going to jump right into the match folks.”

The heavy opening guitar riff from “Out of My Mind” by Mushroomhead hits over the speakers as a slight fog grows around the curtain.

POWERS: ”The following Flaming Tables Match is for the Octane Championship!”

Bryan Laughlin emerges walking slowly and stopping in the middle of the stage he tightens his leather gloves on his hands allowing the strobe lights that are methodically flashing to the bass thump in the music drown him in mystery.

“Judge me for what I am

The passage of death

You don’t play, you don’t win

You change nothing

You gain nothing

Everybody’s out from here on in”

POWERS: ”Coming to the ring Los Angeles, California by way of Cleveland, Ohio! Weighing in at two hundred twenty five pounds and standing six feet, two inches tall, this IS, BRYAN LLAAUUGGHHLLIINN!!!”

As he reaches the apron of the ring he turns to put his back on the apron and stare back at the entrance ramp that he had just walked down. Throwing his hands up in the air as the chorus hits and the lights simultaneously travel to him in a spot light that he basks in with his eyes closed he then smiles before sliding into the ring on his stomach and makes eye contact with the nearest camera for a bit longer than most would before hopping to his feet and duplicating what he did outside on the apron by leaning against the ropes.

POWERS: ”And the opponent!”

“Jump” by Van Halen starts to play and the crowd begin to buzz with excitement. The synth picks up and Kaz Bonham steps out from the black curtain with the 4CW Octane Championship around her shoulder. Kaz throws some scrunchies into the crowd and waves at various fans. She’s got a big smile on her face as she walks down to the ring, jumping along with the music, and slapping the hands of every fan she can.

POWERS: ”Making her way to the ring, hailing from Watertown, Tennessee…weighing in at one hundred and thirty-two pounds! She is the 4CW Octane Champion, ‘LITTLE BIGFOOT’… KAZ BBOONNHHAAMM!!!”

Jumping up to the ring apron, she wipes her boots on the mat before climbing through the ropes. Kaz runs up to the turnbuckle and holds her Octane Championship up high as the crowd keeps cheering her on. She hops down from the turnbuckle and turns toward the center of the ring. Removing her jean vest, Kaz places it down in the corner and turns back, jumping in place as she gets ready for the match to begin.

On the outside of the ring, a table lays on the floor at each side. In front of the announcers booth, a gas can sits and on the actual booth, a lighter rests in front of Steve and Vinny. The ringside crew stands by with fire extinguishers on hand in case things get out of control. The last thing we need is a fire tonight, unless it involves a house with the Peckerman inside of it. Inside of the ring, Kaz and Laughlin keep themselves loose in their respective corners. In the center of it all, the official stands. He checks in with both corners and once he gets the okay from both Kaz and Laughlin, he throws his hand into the air and signals for the bell.

DING!!! DING!!!

It’s quite apparent that Laughlin has the size advantage here tonight, standing fourteen inches taller than Kaz and outweighing her by nearly one hundred pounds. Size doesn’t scare Kaz, not one bit as she leaves her corner and slowly heads straight for Laughlin. The two meet in the center of the ring, Laughlin towering over her as he looks down into her eyes, and Kaz with her head tilted all the way back looking up into his. After a few choice words between the two, Kaz takes charge and lays an open palm across Laughlin’s chest. She then fires with another, and another, backing him up. After landing three, Laughlin then fires back and connects with a solid right to her forehead, knocking her off her feet and down to her back.

He doesn’t give Kaz a single second before stepping in and laying into her with multiple kicks to the ribs. Lifting her up from the mat, he then steps in beside her before taking her back to the mat with a Russian leg sweep. Rolling over on top of Kaz, Laughlin then unloads with rapid right hands, pounding away at Kaz as she tries her best to fend them off. Pushing himself to his feet, Laughlin stomps down onto her midsection a few times before turning away and running straight for the ropes. He hits the ropes hard, bouncing off and gaining even more speed with each foot step. Jumping straight into the air, he then comes down onto Kaz’s chest with a jumping double foot stomp.

VASSA: “I don’t care what they say. Size does matter!”

JOHNSON: “So that’s your problem, yeah?”

VASSA: “That’s not what I’m talking about! It’s the opposite in that department.”

Bryan continues his assault on Kaz while she’s down for a few minutes before pulling her up to her feet. Locking onto her arm, he then whips her to the corner with all of his strength. Kax crashes back first into the corner, her feet even lifting off the mat. As they set back down, Laughlin is right there, charging in like a freight train and leveling her with a clothesline. he pulls her away from the corner, flipping her over to the mat with a snapmare. Leaving Kax in an upright seated position and facing the corner, Laughlin climbs the corner to the middle rope. He then leaps forward, flipping in the air and grabbing onto her head, slamming her backwards with a blockbuster.

Laughlin doesn’t push himself up, instead he rolls to the edge of the ring, underneath the ropes and to the outside. Grabbing a table from the outside, Laughlin slides it into the ring before turning to look at the announcers booth on the opposite side of the ring. He walks around the ring, making his way to the booth. Inside of the ring, Kaz begins to slowly come to her senses.

JOHNSON: “here comes Laughlin for that lighter you won’t stop playing with.”

VASSA: “He can wait his damn turn! I’m playing with fire and there’s no one here who can stop me.”

JOHNSON: “Tell him that.”

Standing in front of the booth, Laughlin extends his arm, holding his palm out and looking straight to Vinny.

VASSA: “Hold on a second I was about to show Steve a trick.”

Laughlin then slams his fist onto the booth, scaring the bejesus out of Vinny and causing him to drop the lighter on top of the booth. Laughlin snatches it from the top of the booth before leaning over and getting within an inch of Vinny’s face.

JOHNSON: “I told you he was coming for that.”

VASSA: “I–I–I’m sorry, Bry.”

Bryan then turns around to face the ring and his eyes light up like a deer in the headlights. Flying through the ropes, Kaz collides into his with a suicide dive. Laughlin’s back crashes against the announcers booth as Kaz falls to the side of him. The two are slow to get back to their feet, taking nearly a minute before Kaz eventually stands first. She then begins stomping on Laughlin’s lower legs, keeping him down to the floor for as long as she can. Climbing up onto the announcers booth, Kaz then leaps off, coming straight down onto Laughlin with double knees to the stomach. She rolls forward and up to her feet in a fluid motion as the fans in the front row cheer her on.

Grabbing a table from the floor, she then walks to the side of the ring and props it against the outside of the corner post. Walking back to the booth area, she grabs the gas can from the floor and walks back to the table before pouring some of the contents onto the table. There’s only one thing missing – the lighter. She looks back to Laughlin who is still down and he doesn’t have it in his hand. She scans the floor but doesn’t see it anywhere in the vicinity of the booth. After looking for nearly half a minute, she finally spots it as the fans in the front row scream and point to it. It isn’t anywhere near the booth but she quickly jogs over to it, picking it up from the floor. Now back at the table, she holds the light up and looks at it for a short moment.

JOHNSON: “LOOK OUT KAZ!!!”

From behind, Laughlin locks onto Kaz’s head with both hands and slams it forward, planting her face into the table, causing her to drop the lighter. He then pulls her away from it before turning the opposite direction and heading back to the booth. Once they make it to the booth, he slams her face down onto the booth twice before lifting it up and pulling it completely back, forcing her to look up at the ceiling but instead she only sees him as he leans over her, looking into her eyes. Turning her around, Laughlin then locks onto her arm and throws her to the corner. NO! Kaz reverses the throw and sends Laughlin running to the table instead. Laughlin hits the table head on and comes to a complete stop. Before he knows it, Kaz races in behind him and hits him square in the back with a running DROPKICK, knocking him through the table.

VASSA: “Laughlin just went through the table! This one’s over with the most devastating move ever!”

JOHNSON: “No it isn’t, not just yet. That table must be on fire prior to being broken. This match isn’t over by a long shot.”

Kaz is back on her feet, looking down at Laughlin covered in a mess of broken wood. She pulls him up from the mat before rolling him back into the ring. Looking through the mess of broken wood, she searches for the lighter. After half a minute, she finally finds it and places it snug against her body underneath her waistband. Picking up the gas can, she places it on the apron in the corner before rolling back into the ring. Pulling Laughlin up, she goes to lift him off his feet with a scoop but Laughlin throws an elbow into the side of her head, her ear to be exact. Kaz stumbles to the side, holding the side of her head.

Rushing in, Laughlin hits her with a European uppercut, knocking her backwards and into the ropes. She bounces off and falls straight into his arms as he lifts her into the air, high over his head and he extends his arms. Holding her up, he turns to the corner and walks over to it before throwing her forward, face down onto the top turnbuckle. Kaz bounces off and falls backwards into his arms again. This time he lifts her off her feet and drives her head into the mat with a German suplex. With Kaz down, Laughlin crawls on top of her and unloads with lefts and rights, firing at will and connecting with twice as many as she blocks. This goes on for nearly a minute as the crowd watches in silence at what he does to their hero.

VASSA: “If Kaz is going to stand a chance she’s going to need to stay on her feet and not let him get ahold of her.”

JOHNSON: “That’s a lot easier said than done. She’s the Octane Champion for crying out loud. You think she doesn’t know this?!”

VASSA: “I’m just saying. He’s a monster of a man and on the mat she isn’t going to stand a chance.”

Laughlin rolls out of the ring, grabbing the third table at ringside and sliding it back inside. he then climbs onto the apron and dips through the ropes, all while Kaz remains down on the mat. He walks over to her, lifting her up into the air before applying a double underhook and laying into her with multiple headbutts. Lifting her into the air, he slams her down with a double underhook suplex before rolling back out of the ring. He grabs the fourth and final table from the outside, sliding it into the ring and follows right behind.

He sets up one table in the corner. He then grabs another table and sets it up in the corner left of the other corner with the table. Grabbing the third and final table, he unfolds the legs and sets it up beside the ropes right between the two corners with the other tables. Walking over to the corner across the ring where Kaz placed the gas can, he grabs it with a wicked grin on his face. Kaz slowly pushes herself up to all fours but before she can stand, Laughlin runs over and stomps down onto the back of her head, driving her face down into the mat.

He then pours gas on the first table he set up in the corner. Then the second table he set up in the corner. Standing in front of the final table on its legs, he then empties the entire gas can onto it.

JOHNSON: “That’s all of the gas. Any minute now things are going to start heating up.”

VASSA: “Three tables all covered in gas. This isn’t going to be good.”

Laughlin walks over to Kaz, searching her entire body until he finally sees the top of the lighter sticking out from between her waistband. He holds it high into the air, striking it and drawing a flame. He laughs hysterically for a moment before walking over to the corner and igniting a flame once more. He holds the flame to the table and as he does, flames engulf the entire thing. To his surprise, Kaz is right behind him, grabbing ahold of him and slamming his entire body into the table. The table doesn’t break and Laughlin falls backwards to the mat. Above him, the table then falls forward and straight down onto his. Laughlin yells loudly over the Houston crowd, fighting to push the table off of him that is on fire. He finally manages to free himself before kicking the table to the outside of the ring. Immediately, the ringside crew rush over, extinguishing the flames.

His body is burned, but that doesn’t keep him down. He slowly rises to his feet, grabbing the lighter from the mat. Kaz rushes in once more, hitting the ropes behind him and as she bounces off, she leaps forward, wrapping an arm around his head and planting his face into the mat with a bulldog. The lighter slips out of his hand, traveling to the center of the ring before coming to a stop. Kaz pulls him up from the mat and then whips him to the corner where the other table leans against it. Laughlin slams back first into it. It doesn’t break though. He leans against it long enough for Kaz to rush in with a clothesline. Bryan reacts just in time, stepping forward and turning his body to hit her with an elbow as she closes in. She falls back but Laughlin latches onto her arm, preventing her from falling to the mat. He pulls her in and wraps both arms around her before lifting her off her feet and throwing her through the table with a belly to belly suplex.

JOHNSON: “There’s the third table out of commission.”

VASSA: “Two broken and one that was on fire but now no longer. And they’re out of gas. There’s only one table left soaked in gas and they better make it count.”

Bryan pushes himself up and limps to the center of the ring. His body is covered in burns from the flaming table falling on top of him. He grabs the lighter from the mat and walks overt to the last table which happens to be standing on its legs. On the first try, the lighter ignites a flame and he quickly holds it to the table for the gas to catch. The table goes up in flames. he tosses the lighter aside and looks to the corner where Kaz slowly pushes herself up from the mess beneath her.

Rubbing his hands together, he then throws a “too sweet” hand sign into the air. Waiting for the perfect time, he watches Kaz as she slowly climbs to her feet. Once she stands, he then makes his move, rushing in and going for the Best Superkick Ever.

JOHNSON: “B-S-K-E!”

VASSA: “The Best Superkick EV–!”

JOHNSON: “WAIT!!!”

VASSA: “OH MY!!!”

As Laughlin’f foot gets within inches of Kaz’s face, she grabs ahold of his foot, catching it in mid air. She then pulls him in and squats down, lifting him off his feet and onto her shoulders in a fireman’s carry.

JOHNSON: “Kaz countered it!”

VASSA: “There’s no counting her out!”

She then begins to spin in circles, over and over as the crowd counts along with each revolution.

After twenty rotations, Kaz stumbles towards the table and lifts Bryan off her shoulders, throwing him to the table. Bryan’s body first hits the flames as the entire arena goes silent. He then hits the table and the sound echoes throughout the entire building.

CCCRRRAAACCCKKK!!!

Laughlin’s body goes straight through the flaming table, breaking it into pieces upon impact. Kaz on the other hand, she falls backwards, dizzy from the twenty rotations.

JOHNSON: “Laughlin goes through the table!”

VASSA: “She’s done it!”

The ringside crew immediately slides into the ring with extinguishers, spraying Laughlin and putting out the flames.

JOHNSON: “This one is in the books folks. Kaz Bonham has retained.”

VASSA: “Poor Kaelan, she’s going to have a mess on her hands.”

The official then calls for the bell as the ringside crew extinguishes every last bit of fire and the medical team checks in with Laughlin.

“Jump” by Van Halen hits the speakers as the entire building erupts. With the championship in hand, the official walks over to Kaz and helps her to her feet. handing her the championship, he then raises her arm high into the air, while also supporting her with his other hand so she doesn’t fall back to the mat from her lost sense of balance.

JOHNSON: “There you have it folks, Kaz Bonham is still you Octane Champion.”

VASSA: “This chapter comes to a close with Laughlin. What lies ahead is a mystery to us all.”

JOHNSON: “We’re going to go backstage momentarily ladies and gentlemen while the mess is cleaned up here in the ring.”

VASSA: “Sit tight, don’t go anywhere, and DO NOT play with fire kids.”

The scene cuts to static for a moment… then a shaky cam in a dark room. It takes a second for Nurse Kinsley to bring her masked face to the screen, staring into the lens with wide eyes.

KINSLEY:”I want to thank… Cyrus Riddle.”

Her breathing is uneasy. It almost sounds like giggling, but not quite. She takes a second to steady the camera better.

KINSLEY:”And I mean that, from the bottom of my shriveled little heart. See, I was starting to wonder why I’m even here–why I’m even showing up tonight. I don’t deserve this spot, I didn’t earn my place in this match. Neither did half these other losers, TO BE FAIR, but… still. I’m but one of a handful of names scooped out of a hat, thrown into a hodge podge of an event because somebody wanted more attention. WHY AM I HERE?! I’ve been trying to get AWAY from all this, the barbed wire and the thumb tacks and the light tubes and and and…”

She looks away from the camera for a moment, her grip on it loosening. It takes a little longer for her to make eye contact again.

KINSLEY:”But Cyrus Riddle… oh, Mr. Riddle, he said something that really inspired me, really put it all in… in perspective. He said that nobody wants… to see me succeed. Nobody wants to see Harlow Kinsley… succeed. That… I want you to know, Cyrus, that means a great deal to me.”

Again with the gasping, wheezing, sort-of-laughing sound.

KINSLEY:”Nothing… nothing in this world drives me harder, fuels me more… than pure, unadultered spite. The idea that my winning the XTV title tonight could piss off all eighteen thousand some odd people in the crowd–not to mention the five shmucks stepping into that ring with me–that… that just DOES IT FOR ME, Cyrus. The thought that I could, even for a moment, even for an INSTANT, make that many god damn people and ALL the idiots watching at home HALF as unhappy as I am… my god, C-Rizzle, that really gets my FUCKING motor running.”

Kinsley inhales sharply, readjusting the camera in her hands.

KINSLEY:”You think I’m my own biggest fan. My only fan, but you still don’t get it. I HATE me, I wish someone would KILL ME and get it THE HELL OVER WITH, but the amount I despise what I see in the mirror every morning is rivaled only by how much I hate YOU, and KIMITSU, and AIDAN, and that baby faced GAVIN GRIMES, and I barely even KNOW Marquis but I’ll bet money she’s just as insipid and witless as the rest of you and what keeps me from just downing the whole effing bottle and calling it good is the thought that I could still drag down people like all of YOU, the thought that I could still ruin an entire show for those greasy, overweight manchildren in the audience, the thought that prestigious, respectable 4CW might be forced to admit that NURSE HARLOW KINSLEY holds an actual BELT in the company, THAT’S what keeps me going and I want to thank you, Cyrus. I want to thank you for reminding me why I do this… why I’m really here. Not to prove that I’m right… but to prove everyone else wrong. Really. Thank you.”

Harlow drops the camera outright, the lens cracking as it hits the floor. The back of the nurse’s boots are visible as she walks away, moments before the scene cuts away.

The camera gets a close-up shot of a dirty old hockey mask. Panning back we see Alexis Mercer wearing an outfit that consisted of a torn olive green worker shirt with dry blood stains, weathered grey-ish color cargo pants — along with that hockey mask. Not moving for an inch but stood like a statue. Alexis appeared to be in the upper section of the Toyota Center where she’ll make her way down from this level to the Retrograde ring down below shortly. Wrestling fans were being quarantined by arena security. The camera then pans left to find Gabriel Hartman coming into frame holding a microphone close to his lips.

He has a look of uncertainty about how to approach this interview. Hartman straightens up his tie and attempts to pull-off this uncomfortable smile standing next to The Anti-Starlet of 4CW.

HARTMAN:“Ladies and Gentlemen. Um, my guest at this time is…”

Gabriel looks back at Alexis. No movement.

HARTMAN:“My guest at this time is the former 4CW Fate Champion, Alexis Mercer…”

We are presented with another close up of Alexis Mercer, but this time from the torso up. Still no reaction. This time the camera instead focuses on Gabriel Hartman for a few moments as he looks down at the arena floor avoiding this creepy site. Alexis was moments away from her First Blood Match happening, so naturally, she was prepared to end things with Andre.

HARTMAN:“Alexis. What started out like a competitive match between yourself and Andre Holmes last September in Cleveland, Ohio has slowly started to turn into this violent blood feud that has spilled into involving members of Andre’s private life. Right now we have word that his family is in the front row audience waiting for the Relentless Andre Holmes to come out and make you pay for everything that has happened in the past few months between the two of you. I have to ask Alexis because this might be your last chance, but do you at all feel any regret about what you have mentally and physically done to this man? To his family?”

Hartman holds the microphone over in her direction. Only the sound of heavy breathing comes through the hockey mask. Not a single word is spoken. This leads Hartman to proceed with the interview.

HARTMAN:“Alexis for a month now Andre Holmes has been on a warpath through 4CW Adrenaline beating Gavin Grimes and attempting his hand at Jair Hopkins claiming he has his sights set on facing you, facing his nightmares. He’s been giving everything he has against some really tough competition just for another chance at not only beating you but making you bleed, Some say that after your recent loss over Dakota Smith and Viduus Morta when he played a similar trick on you that the tides were turning. That maybe after all your mind games throughout the months have made you lose control. How do you respond to those allegations?”

Nothing.

HARTMAN:“Alexis. Are you afraid at this point and time about what you created?”

Suddenly, Alexis Mercer comes to life and darts her head to the side. She starts walking and cornering Gabriel Hartman against the cold cement tiled wall. His face pressed. The camera zooms in on Hartman. He closes his eyes mumbling some random prayers like suddenly he found religion knowing Alexis has a history of making violently harming people and making them disappear. He feels the breathing in his exposed ear inches from his face. It stops. He opens his eyes after a few minutes. He starts looking around because Alexis was gone. Hartman starts laughing to himself feeling good as he starts pushing away from the wall.

That laugh soon goes away when Hartman feels something wet on both his pants legs. He looks down to investigate to find that Alexis Mercer made the man piss himself in front of everyone.

A video feed begins shortly after the break, showing the view of a limousine behind the 4CW arena. A man comes around to the back right hand door of the car, opening it. A long, slender leg came into view from the dark interior with a black spiked heel fitted perfectly on the foot. The camera kept still as a woman emerged from the darkness. Long dark hair covered her face for a moment until she looked up at the driver with a smirk.

Rorie Steele.

Her smirk was quickly replaced with a slight scowl.

STEELE: “Cedric. Move.”

The driver stepped back a bit, showing his face. He looked somewhat familiar, slightly asian above the waist, but with pale skin with a long beard and a hat on his head. The skin near his eyes under his sunglasses seemed off. As if they were taped. Rorie stepped out of the vehicle and looked around the lot.

STEELE: “Yup… A dump. Just as I remember it.”

She sighed and walked into the building with Cedric following closely behind.

DONG: “The name is Wong Dong…”

She paused for a moment, staring at him.

STEELE: “Whatever…”

UNDERCARDFIRST BLOOD MATCHANDRE HOLMESVS.ALEXIS MERCER

The Toyota Center has been sold out for this annual festivity of 4CW Presenting: Retrograde in Houston, Texas. On the next match of the under-card, the ending of a brutal yet personal rivalry finally comes to an end. Houston, the hometown of Andre Holmes, have been waiting for him to return and especially defeat Alexis Mercer who has made his life a living hell. On the other perspective, Alexis’ time to burn Andre in hell has come tonight. The cameras transition over to Johnson and Vassa sat behind the announce table.

JOHNSON: ”Welcome back to 4CW Presents: Retrograde here in the Toyota Center of Houston, Texas. We’re officially kicking off the under-card with a match that will end a long-term personal and boiling hot feud in the making. This is a First Blood match featuring “The Anti-Starlet” Alexis Mercer facing off against Houston’s own, “Relentless” Andre Holmes, in the final match to end this feud once and for all.”

VASSA: ”Everything started on Adrenaline months ago when Andre Holmes scored an obvious fucking fluke victory over Alexis Mercer than decided to rub it in her face. Being the asshole he was, he just had to stroke his own ego which is ten times bigger than his fucking dick! After that, Alexis sent him warning in the Fate Gauntlet Match at Fright Night before really showing who was the master of mind games!”

JOHNSON: ”Having enough with her attacks and mind games, Andre Holmes challenged Alexis Mercer at Winter Wasteland where the two put on match of the year performances. In the end, Alexis scored her revenge victory over Holmes but things didn’t end there as she tasted the blood of her enemy. Inspired by that, she did what no human being should do. Took the personal photos out of his locker, painted blood across them on the wall.”

VASSA: ”Maybe she did went too far but Andre’s pushed her! Not she pushing him! Get it the fuck right. He’s an overcompensating vanilla midget who doesn’t know respect. First Blood? He even threatened to murder Sarah Jones, Alexis’ assistant, in the open. This match is perfect for Alexis to finally kick Andre out of 4CW and in front of his family too!”

JOHNSON: ”Well all of it ends tonight. And you’re right, The Holmes’ Family is here tonight to witness this match. Houston will be very intrigued and excited to see how this match will play out but lets not delay it any longer. Lets take it over to Powers for the match introductions!”

The camera transitions firstly over to Andre’s family at ringside; His wife, Kaitlyn, and two daughters, Serenity and Athena. It then transitions to the interior of the ring where Powers stands inside the center with the microphone held under his chin as he gets the cue from production to begin with the match introductions.

DING!!! DING!!!

POWERS: ”Ladies and Gentlemen, this match is a First Blood Match where the winner must force it’s opponent to be busted wide open in order to win the match!”

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Standing in her own corner prepared for this match, she stands behind the ropes staring at Andre’s family at ringside. No emotions are shown on her face; Her eyes are pinned directly at Andre’s family ringside. Kaitlyn stares right back at her while his daughters tend to ignore the gaze. Mercer returns back in her designated corner pacing back and forth as she awaits her long time rival to make his entrance.

JOHNSON: ”Alexis is a sick individual. There was no need for that. Andre has mentioned she needs psychological help and is a threat to her own and others. Alexis just stood there staring at his family trying to induce fear and a message which I can assume is they’re about to witness Andre bleed in front of the entire world!”

“WE WANT ANDRE! WE WANT ANDRE! WE WANT ANDRE! WE WANT ANDRE!”

The introductory guitar riffs of “Relentless” by New Years Day cues all the lights in the arena to slowly fade to black until it reignites in a flashing sequence as the song officially begins. Houston explodes with thunderous applause as they see their hometown hero march out from the back and stand under the projected spotlight center stage. Raising his head, his eyes doesn’t meet anything else than Alexis who stares back at her rival cloaked under that black leather jacket with the hood over his head.

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

He starts walking down the entrance path, every step is just another second closer to making Alexis bleed. Reaching the mid-way of his path, he stops and kneels down on the concrete floor. Head down and all lights shut off once again with the spotlight emerged on him alone providing the only source of light in the dark interior of the Toyota Center. The voice of the leader singer of New Years Day takes over with Houston singing along.

“Tear Me Down, It Won’t Build You Up…”

Standing up in that lone wolf pose and the hoodie flung behind him, Andre emits that signature primal scream howling from the bottom of his lungs. Light returns to everywhere in the stage along with the sequence of white fireworks exploding behind him. Finished, he marches down to ringside before going over to where his family is giving them a giant hug and his wife giving him a kiss of good luck.

POWERS: ”Introducing first! Hailing from Houston, Texas! At five feet, nine inches tall, weighing in at two hundred and one pounds. He is “Relentless” ANDRE HHOOLLMMEESS!!!”

Wearing a simple black, and red design underwear with a long sleeve black arm wear covering his right forearm with “Holmes” engraved in red across it. His MMA gloves sponsored by tap-out representing his striking background. Along with that, “Relentless” is tattooed down his spine, and his black knee pads are custom-made with his insignia of his graphically designed initials on each pad. Finally, his leg padding covers the lower part of his legs, and his boots are striped in red, and black together.

VASSA: ”And there he is ladies and gentlemen. The asshole of the century who never understood what it meant to be humble. He couldn’t help but rub his victory in her face and get pissy when she beat him at Winter Wasteland. By all means, I hope this bastard loses and bleeds to death because he fucking deserves to be knocked off his high pedestal for once!”

Already on the top turnbuckle of his corner outside the ropes, smoke arises from below then smothers him in it when a spotlight emerges behind him. The environment around him becomes dark again as the visual effect of his silhouette is produced. When the smoke and mirrors dissipate, he drops down from the top rope into his corner. His music fades away and he leans back on the turnbuckles listening to the support of his hometown.

JOHNSON: ”The tension in this arena is too much. Andre Holmes has waited for this key moment in this feud to put an end to Alexis. He wants nothing more than to end her career to ensure the safety of his family in the future.”

“LETS GO ANDRE! FUCK YOU MERCER! LETS GO ANDRE! FUCK YOU MERCER!

Arena lights go down allowing spotlights to take over. The start of “Nightmare” by Nyxx plays over the sound system. Interference soon interrupts the live video feed and transitions where one minute there’s the upper-levels of the crowd and the next is a shadowy woman walking down a dark and empty hall.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Within seconds, the Anti-Starlet logo appears on screens. Once everything gets back to normal as Alexis stood in the audience wearing that special Jason Voorhees attire, the audience’s camera flashes as Alexis begins to walk down the stairs heading to the ring where Andre Holmes watches on.

POWERS:”Ladies and gentlemen. Residing in Salem, New York, weighing in at one hundred and ten pounds, she is the Anti-Starlet, Alexis Mercer!!!”

Alexis reaches the barricade and stops. Her eyes survey her surroundings giving it one last glance before hopping over the barricade. She starts circling the ring until reaching halfway and stops to turn her head over to Kaitlyn Holmes. Andre rushes over to secure his wife holding onto her for a moment as he watches Alexis walk to the other side of that ring and get inside, he mouths off to her. Once inside Alexis stands still for a second before ripping off the hockey mask and throwing it out to the crowd. She then goes underneath the top rope and sits on the middle rope while resting her arms on the top rope, Alexis sees Andre and flips him off.

VASSA: ”Yes! The former 4CW Fate Champion has arrived and she’s really playing to the Jason Voorhees attire. I love it. It’ll be a good lasting memory for Andre to have PTSD too. Well, this motherfucking match gon’ be lit! Alexis is gonna slice him up in front of his bitch ass of a family!”

JOHNSON: ”Both competitors are in the ring and prepared for the match! Andre Holmes! Alexis Mercer! 4CW Retrograde! First Blood! Here we go!”

DING!!! DING!!!

Both competitors stay within their designated corners staring each other down. Houston’s in full support of Andre who wastes no time getting into the center of the ring. Alexis follows through and the two meet eye to eye before firing blows back and forth. They brawl their lives away impatient to let this match drag on. With a right knee bending Alexis forward in a groggy position, she gets thrown into the nearest unoccupied corner and her back gets glued to the turnbuckles. She eats a powerful Corner Clothesline then gets struck by a Roundhouse Kick!

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Her head whiplashes until being forced out of the corner from a whip into the adjacent one. Her back slams against the turnbuckles but so does Andre’s body with a Reverse Avalanche. He puts her down on her ass from a Snapmare; Andre runs to the ropes ahead of her, rebounds and clocks her forehead with a Shining Wizard. Alexis flips over onto her chest and the referee checks for any blood. He shakes his head denying the winning end pissing Andre off even more.

JOHNSON: ”Andre Holmes starting this match off early with a vengeance to kill! He’s been overpowering her with speed, agility and straight brutality in his power. My advice is to keep his composure and keep a clear head. Alexis’ is known for taking advantage of others’ emotions.”

Taking her head in his grasp, he slowly helps her up before locking in the Muay Thai Clinch. Mercer starts eating a flurry of knees into her ribs before he lets go and knocks her out of the ring from a Spinning Back Kick into her abdomen. She falls through the middle and bottom ropes, tumbles down to ringside and Andre gets the cue from the audience to dive. Smirking at his family, it’s more than enough incentive to get extra velocity from the spring of the ropes and attempt that trademark dive…only to get a steel chair thrown right in his face!

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!

VASSA: ”Oh! Hahahahahahahahaha! How does that fucking feel you lunatic?! A chair shot straight to the head as he was attempting that trademarked Suicide Dive!”

Andre’s body dangles across the apron and the referee checks for any blood but finds none. She drags him from the ropes to ringside before slamming his head across the commentary table. Holding him within his grasp, Alexis runs to the steel steps and transforms his body into a battering ram. He collides into the steel steps so hard, they instantly knock each other off into the ringside barricade. Andre starts crawling to the apron until Alexis cuts him off driving her right knee down onto his spine.

“YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK!”

VASSA: ”Boom goes the steel steps! I’m gonna need a gif of that on my Instagram!”

Trying his best to get up, Andre’s feeling a lot of pain around his body and Alexis doesn’t show any mercer. She tosses his body over the barricade then follows through in the audience. Dragging him by the neck, she brings him over to a table to throw him across rustling the trash and other items off. He lands down on the concrete floor; The referee watches Alexis help Andre up again who takes her by neck and smashes her face into a nearby railing. Her head bounces off and she keeps walking forward until he picks up a nearby trash can and throws it into her back.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH”

JOHNSON: ”Jesus! He just threw a trash can into the back of Alexis! This is a First blood match so anything goes. Expect violence at its peak and with Andre Holmes, he’s damn sure going to abuse that rule in his favor.”

Alexis falls down to her knees placing a hand on her mid-back after the trash can clobbers her spine. She slowly looks up and a trash can lid gets smacked right across her forehead dropping her down onto the concrete. Andre throws it away then helps her back up. A couple right punches lands in her ribs followed by an elbow shot into her head; Instead of bringing it to the ring, he drags her past the little production area then into the backstage area of the Toyota Center.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

JOHNSON: ”Give us a second ladies and gentlemen, we’ll have a camera crew in on the action!”

VASSA: ”It’s up on the screen! Fucking finally!”

The scene plays out to a bunch of backstage workers running away from Andre, Alexis and the official. Andre keeps dragging Mercer along with him to a series of tables constantly slamming her body against them. He gets a smile on his face when he runs and tosses her body against an equipment box. Her back slamming against it as she sits down on the floor. Andre measures her up then runs for a Charging Basement Dropkick straight into her chest and a loud boom sounds across the area.

No sign of blood as the referee calls it. Andre takes another equipment box and throws it at her but she rolls out of the way when they collide together. She crawls away in an open lobby where the make up team moves away from the chaos. Andre walks behind her and picks her up; She grabs a can of hairspray and lets it all loose in his eyes temporarily blinding. Taking him by the back of his head, he shatters a mirror after being sent through it. Glass lays everywhere and he falls on the concrete with Alexis leaned against the wall to recuperate.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!”

JOHNSON: ”She just ran his head through a mirror! Alexis Mercer doesn’t share any resentment for mercy nor sympathy for her opponents. Andre’s in a bad predicament because Alexis is coming for his life!”

The referee checks deeply for any cuts but denies it. Alexis starts dragging him by the leg across the concrete floor as he looks out of it. His body isn’t moving and she manages to get him from the backstage area to the stage area. Right on the steel, she helps him back up and commits to a Snap DDT spiking him right on the top of his head. Andre bounces off the floor then rolls over onto his back where he’s still not bleeding. Mercer gets on top of him then starts punching him down on the forehead for the entire world to see.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK!”

VASSA: ”Snap DDT spiking him right on his fucking head! And now mounted punches to try and bust him open! Come on Alexis, make him fuckin’ bleed!”

After getting up, she sees that he still isn’t bleeding. She violently takes his head in her grasp and helps him back up to his feet. Walking with him to the ring, Andre elbows her into the ribs before putting her right on the apron. They both stand on the apron edge before he bends her forward with her head in between her legs. Upside down, Andre sits down finishing the Piledriver on the apron then rolls her through the bottom and middle ropes. Having enough with her games, he stays at ringside looking under the ring for any items.

“LETS GO ANDRE! LETS GO ANDRE! LETS GO ANDRE! LETS GO ANDRE!”

JOHNSON: ”Apron Piledriver! Apron Piledriver! Alexis Mercer got piledrived on the top of her head on the hardest part of the ring! Andre Holmes has no mercy and he’s looking for more items under the ring!”

He sets up a table between the barricade and the announce table. Slides in two chairs then enters into the ring yet again witnessing Alexis get back up. He levels her with a Spinning Back Kick into the ribs, Soccer Kicks her in the shoulder and finishes with an Rolling Elbow into the temple turning her around. Grasping her waist and her right arm in the air, he bridges over and slams her neck down on the mat with a Half-Nelson Suplex! Alexis rolls backwards onto her feet then eats a Savate Kick into the nose knocking her ass down!

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

JOHNSON: ”Look at that series of strikes! A great combination involving the Half Nelson Suplex and a Savate Kick! He has the chair in his hands and is lodging in between the turnbuckles!”

As Johnson said, Holmes wedges the chair in between the ropes at the corner. He walks over to Alexis and helps her back up to his feet. Taking her right arm, he whips her into the chair but she comes to a halt and turns around to Andre charging into her. A quick Drop Toe Hold trips him forward thus a collision between face and steel spawns in the corner. He bounces away from the hair down on his back holding his face. Alexis runs to the ropes, leaps onto the middle rope then flies backwards for the Springboard Moonsault!

The referee checks down on the forehead and sees no blood. She helps him back up to his feet again and lands a few Knife Edge Chops into the chest bouncing him back into the ropes. He throws him into the opposing ropes, he rebounds and surprises her out of nowhere with a Running Bicycle Knee strike. She gets blown back only to rebound off the ropes then turn him inside out with the signature Running Bicycle Kick!

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

JOHNSON: ”The signature, “20 Eyes”, Running Bicycle Kick! Andre Holmes still doesn’t have any chance after that kick. It nearly tore his head off!”

The referee checks the forehead and still no blood. He manages to fight off the pain and stand on his feet until Alexis holds him by the back of his head. She runs with him into the corner until he slips behind and drops her on her neck from the Belly-to-Back Suplex! Alexis gets up on her feet from the momentum then eats a Tornado Kick clocking her in the temple. She falls down onto her chest and Andre picks up the chair on the canvas. When she crawls onto her fours, a huge chair shot from above smacks her into the canvas! Alexis screams out in pain!

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!”

VASSA: ”What the fuck?! A Belly-to-Back Suplex, Tornado Kick and now the chair shot from above?! Fucking murderer!”

Andre tosses the bent chair out of the ring and slowly watches Alexis gets up to a knee. From there on, back to back Roundhouse Kicks explodes into her chest. They keep coming, and coming and coming until he pauses to take two steps back. He steps forward going for the Thrust Kick but Alexis ducks under the leg. She takes him down from the Fisherman Neckreaker! Andre tries to get up then Alexis catches him in her arms. She tosses him into the corner where his back slams against the turnbuckles. Mercer charges and gets Belly-to-Belly Suplexed into the chair!

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!”

VASSA: ”Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! No! Alexis Mercer! Survive this please and do not bleed! You can hold it in!”

Alexis is hanging right off the top turnbuckle until he slugs her body across his shoulders. He runs into the center of the ring, kneels down and complete the Death Valley Driver onto the knee signature move. Alexis slums off and Andre walks over to the turnbuckles where he starts to climb them all the way up. Out of nowhere, like a breath of energy, Alexis pops up and runs over into the corner catching Andre with an impromptu Pele Kick on the back of his head! He remains seated on the top rope and Alexis is ready for an aerial attack!

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!”

JOHNSON: ”Holy moly! She just leaped up like she got regenerated! Andre Holmes hit the signature, “Holmes on the Range”, Death Valley Driver onto the knee but it had no effect and Alexis is going to the air!”

Standing on the apron outside behind Andre sat on the top turnbuckle. Alexis whips her hair back before springboarding onto the top rope then leaps off across having Andre’s head in her grasp. To the crowd’s delight, Houston explodes from watching Alexis Mercer complete the Springboard Top Rope Cutter from the top rope all the way through the table at ringside. Both their bodies crash through the wood exploding the material into pieces everywhere!

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!”

JOHNSON: ”THE SPRINGBOARD TOP ROPE CUTTER THROUGH THE TABLE! THAT WAS INCREDIBLE! THERE’S NOTHING THAT CAN STOP ALEXIS WHEN SHE FLIES UP IN THE AIR!”

Alexis shakes off the extremely painful cobwebs before getting back up on her feet. She rolls Andre inside barely before limping over to his family at ringside. She smirks at them then looks under the ring for a Barbed Wire Bat; Alexis slides into the ring then stands up winding the bat in her hands. When Holmes gets up, she charges at him with the bat but he ducks under the swing. A quick Tornado Kick knocks her down onto her knees again then Andre spins around to her right side to deliver that finishing Thrust Kick blow!

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

JOHNSON: ”ANDRE HOLMES WITH THE THRUST KICK FINISHER! ALEXIS IS OUT COLD AND HE’S GETTING ON TOP OF HER IN THE MOUNT POSITION!”

Right on top of her, he slowly takes off his MMA gloves then balls his fists. Through a vulnerable position, Alexis starts eating unprotected punches down onto her face with the referee checking. Andre continues to pound her down until blood starts leaking in a crazy fashion. The referee shoves him and stands up checking for the bell to be called as Andre stands up with bloodied fist staring down to a bloody Alexis Mercer on the canvas.

DING!!! DING!!! DING!!!

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

“Relentless” by New Years Day replays around the interior of the Toyota Center. Houston is off their seats for their hometown hero winning the match and the entire feud. Andre leans against the ropes to recover until leaving the ring to be with his family at ringside who hug him tightly. Alexis receives medical attention in the center of the ring while Andre walks back up the entrance path staring at the work he did in the ring. He smiles and thanks the audience for supporting him tonight.

POWERS: ”Here is your winner, ANDRE HHOOLLMMEESS!!!”

The cameras go backstage to Genevie Carlson sitting on a table backstage with her legs crossed and her hands clasped on her knee she smiles at the camera.

CARLSON: “Tonight I may not be in a Championship match. Tonight I may not be the main event star of the show, but Tonight I promise you I’m going to put on just as good of a match as everyone else, and I’m going to do it without smoke and mirrors. I don’t need special stipulations. I don’t need a Championship belt around my waist to steal the show. To put on a match that has people talking when it’s been over for weeks later.”

She shrugs her shoulders as she hops off the table and brushes her hair out of her face.

CARLSON: “Tonight I’m going to do what I should have done last year. End Ally Gregory’s streak. Give her an L like she’s never had before. I don’t need to physically break that bitch, but I will. I’m going to go for breaking her spirit for this entire sport. She’s already second guessing herself. She doesn’t have to tell me. I see it. I know it, because she hasn’t wrestled much. She doesn’t know if there’s a place for her. Well I’m going to give her a crash course in how much the game has changed since she was last in a wrestling ring.”

Genevie gives a wicked grin to the camera and a laugh to match it as she covers her hand over her face for a moment before dropping her hand and licking her lips to tilt her head to the side and erase the amusement from her face.

CARLSON: “But after this match Ally Gregory will go home and I will still be here. I will still be fighting for my name and my legacy here in a 4CW ring and I have to look beyond just Retrograde and where I want to go next. I’ve been the Fate Champion, I’ve been a temporary Tag Team Champion, and recently I showed the world I can be an Extreme bad bitch when I held the XTV Championship. There’s nowhere else for me to go but up, and I’m looking up. To the 4CW Championship. To the South Beach Brawl Cup more specifically.”

She looked down at the ground a bit somber like. She shook her head and sighed before looking back up at the camera.

CARLSON: “Last year I was taken out by Johnny Evil, and this year? I want to redeem myself. I want to keep doing what I’ve been doing. Making up for all my past failures in this company. I said it on social media, and I’ll say it again. This year? The South Beach Brawl Cup is MINE for the taking. It’s not about the money. It’s not about who’s in the tournament. It’s about me winning and becoming the 4CW Champion. So take this as me officially being the first person to step up and enter myself in this year’s tournament, and tonight you will all see the example I make of Ally Gregory and what I’m capable of doing to all of you.”

With a final smirk Genevie blows a kiss into the camera before winking and walking away leaving the scene to fade black.

We go to the ring where Kimitsu Zombie is staring at her hand where she holds a small ball of barbed wire tangled in on itself.

ZOMBIE: “You all know me but I am something different to each of you. I am a killer, a bitch, a friend, a psycho, or a loser. I am a lot of things to everyone. To me? I am all these things and more. What I plan to do tonight is define this for you all. Right in front of your eyes in this tangled mess of a match that no one knew that they wanted to see, I am going to define what I am for all of you. Win or lose everyone will get to know Kimitsu Zombie. Little by little I am being introduced to everyone in this roster. Win or lose they all remember the time they stepped into the ring with Kimitsu Zombie. Soon I will show you the best of me in the most brutal of environments. With torn flesh and bleeding heart, I’ll show you what I can do.”

She pulls on the middle of the barbed wire ball and it unfurls easily into a line and carefully wraps it around her hand.

ZOMBIE:“I’m in this match with a group of people that don’t really know a lot about me. I’m just a number in the record books. They just know that, like some of you assholes, they do not want to see me succeed. They want to see me as a horror movie monster that is easily defeated at the end, or a naive girl that’s in way above her head. I might be both. The only difference is that I keep getting back up with the knowledge and shame of defeat. Each one doesn’t make me weaker. Each defeat makes me stronger. Each loss is a scar that I show off boldly because I know that I will survive and keep fighting.”

She makes a fist and suffers a minor cut. She holds it out in front of her and to the audience.

ZOMBIE: “I am the little nuisance in this match. I am going to be Aidan’s regret when she realizes what she has done. I shouldn’t expect to get out of this match in one piece as I’ve made sure to make all of them see me as their biggest threat. If they don’t through my words then they will once I start my work. I do not fear defeat anymore or victory with a title such as this one. I am going to take my chances wisely and this is the biggest chance I have to regain my position in 4CW. I’m not going in there expecting to win. That has been my mistake in the past. I’m going into this match expecting to die. When I dwell on this and think back on what this means there is no fear. That is how I know I am ready. That is how I know I will be the champion”

She draws back her fist and walks out of the ring to a surprised audience. She wraps her hand in a white bandana and holds it up to the crowd again before walking out.

Dressed to the nines but when was he never?

STORM:”Your Hero, and Mine.”

Black suit, a white shirt with the top two buttons undone, black suit trousers and leather Italian shoes, and to complete the attire a single rose hung from his jacket pocket. He took the rose and brought it up to his nose, closing his eyes and smelling it with a smile stretching from ear to ear, before placing it back into his pocket. He clasps his hands together, looking into open space and you can tell that there’s something on his mind. There’s always something on his mind.

STORM:“Hey Mark, how long you gonna stick around Four Corners Wrestling? Are you and Chris Madison on the same page? Do you think you can hang with the best Four Corners Wrestling has to offer…”

Scoffing after he finished his sentence, he asked those rhetorical questions mockingly, but with an obvious annoyance behind his voice too. Questions he’d heard too many times. Questions that were becoming tedious. Questions he’d already answered. But that didn’t stop them from being asked again and again.

STORM:“I’m tired, folks. I’m tired of the same old boring questions being asked again and again. Those aren’t the questions you should be asking. What you should be asking is how long is it gonna take you to reach the top of this promotion. Or how long until you and Madison manage to get those tag team championships. That’s what you should be asking.”

STORM: ”And I’d answer them saying, Your Hero and Mine is gonna be at the top of this promotion very soon, but that’s not gonna come easy. That’s gonna come through hard work and dedication but I’m already halfway there. I’ve got the look. I’ve got the experience. I’ve got the talent. And now, it’s about getting those wins and making sure that it’s only up from him. I’d tell you that the likelihood of Chris Madison and I attaining those tag team championships are at an all time high because it’s no secret, when it comes down to it, we are the best team involved in tonight’s tag team match for those titles. And yes, I know Jeb Fisher and Cosmo Cooper are impressive. I know that Boston and Amber, if they decide to work together cohesively, are a pretty good team too. But we’re more than just ‘impressive’. We’re more than just a ‘good team’. We’re the best team this company has and they’ve realized that, and that’s the reason they’ve given us this opportunity so damned quickly.

The sound of something shuffling around can be heard coming from behind Mark Storm as he stops talking. Chris Madison emerges, not nearly as dressed up for the occasion as Mark is… A pair of blue denim jeans and a black t-shirt with white bold lettering that says, “IFC vs Everybody”. His eyes barely escaped the flat brim of his baseball cap as he stares at the camera lens.

MADISON:“Unfortunately, that’s what they do Mark. Those questions, they never go away. Over and over again, your opponents harp on it as if they were rewriting the guidelines of how to get in your head. That nitpickin’, hammerin’ away at the same moot point, I get it too. Chris Madison… He can’t go anymore. He’s washed up. His undefeated streak was just a product of weak competition. He tarnished’ his legacy by returnin’ back to 4CW.”

Madison snickered to himself as he reached up and scratched the scruffy beard along his jawline.

MADISON:“It’s all talk, nothin’ else! 4CW offers some of the best competition in the world. From the top of the lineup to the bottom, every match booked, has the potential to steal the show. Regardless of the road we’ve taken to get to this point, tonight we have the chance to go up against world class tag teams with the 4CW Tag Team Championships on the line. Amber, Boston, Cosmo, and Jeb, tonight we can make Retrograde a bookmark in the championship’s history! For too long, the 4CW Tag Team Championships have been cast aside and treated as fodder for those who can’t make it on their own. Not anymore… Invictus Fight Club… Mark Storm and I, we’re goin’ to bring a war to the forefront of the tag team division. If you stand in our way, be ready to leave a little bit of yourself inside that ring. Our opponents, they have their holes. The last few weeks we’ve seen Boston as the loose cannon that he is. As soon as Amber smartens up, she’ll realize the guy can’t be trusted. Our champs? As naturally gifted as Cosmo Cooper is, he’s still relatively new to this and he is leanin’ on a tag team partner whose arrogance is blindin’. It’s one thing to think that you’re better than the other teams in 4CW. It’s a whole different ball game to foolishly believe that no one has the ability to take those straps off of your hands!”

Storm smiled, looking at his partner before turning to face the camera.

STORM: “People wanna talk… but the time for talkin’s over. It’s time for action now… and you best believe that we’re gonna bring it.”

Together, the two make their way to their dressing room as the scene gradually fades to black.

UNDERCARDALLY GREGORYVS.GENEVIE CARLSON

POWERS: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall..”

The arena in plunged into darkness as “”Big Bad Wolf” by In This Moment hits the speakers. A single yellow spotlight travels up the ramp, as it hits the stage, gold pyros go off and the lights come up to Ally Gregory standing on the stage. Her hand is on her hip as she’s staring out at the crowd with a smirk on her face.

POWERS: “Making her way to the ring currently residing in Miami, Florida…ALLY GGRREEGGOORRYY!!!”

Allyson walks down the ramp occasionally pausing to smirk over her shoulder at the booing fans, she then climbs the steel steps and walks to the middle of the ropes, leaning her arms across the top rope, she sits on the middle rope like a throne and poses on it for a moment before pushing up and flipping over the top rope into the ring she lands on her feet and flips her long blonde hair back with a grin.

The lights switch to purple, pink, and light blue lights shining all over the arena to go along with the Retrograde theme. The beginning beat of “Like a Prayer” by Madonna begins to play as smoke machines begin to fill up the stage, and Genevie Carlson walks out from behind the curtain. She has a long red robe on covering her ring attire, and her signature hat flipped backwards as she walks down the ramp.

“Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone.

I hear you call my name and it feels like

Home.”

At this point Genevie has walked halfway down the ramp. She stops and smirks looking around as her hands go on either side of the robe. She waits and then when the beat kicks in she rips the robe open and lets it slide to the floor. Her attire sparkles in the light in red and black sparkles.

“When you call my name, it’s like a little

Prayer. I’m down on my knees, I wanna take you

there. In the midnight hour, I can feel your

Power. Just like a prayer, you know I’ll take you there.”

POWERS: “Making her way to the ring residing in New York City, New York… GENEVIE CCAARRLLSSOONN!!!”

Genevie runs up to the side of the ring and hops up to the apron to a mixed reaction from the crowd of fans. She winks and takes her hat off and drops it next to her robe on the apron, doing her signature flip into the ring landing in the ring and looking over at Ally Gregory with a smug smirk as the music starts to die and she heads to her corner.

VASSA: “Here we go folks! A match that Genevie has been begging for over a year now! We’re going to see some hair pulling tonight!”

JOHNSON: “This match is over a year in the making. I doubt these women are going to do much hair pulling tonight. Maybe some slapping.”

VASSA: “Whatever I’ll take it. Please Ally slap those big titties of Genevie. Make them jiggle!”

JOHNSON: “Excuse this R word. He’s never gotten over motorboating those things last year at Fright Night.”

VASSA: “You wouldn’t ‘forget either if your face was buried there!”

JOHNSON: “Well the bell is about to ring and we are finally about to see Ally Gregory versus Genevie Carlson, and 4CW is the ONLY company that has the pleasure of seeing these two women FINALLY clash!”

DING!!! DING!!

The bell rings and Genevie flies straight for Ally. She slams her forearm into the side of Ally’s face before grabbing her and immediately irish whipping her across the ring she waits for Ally to come flying back and attempts to hit a clothesline on Ally. Ally ducks it and Genevie flips around to be hit by a clothesline from Ally that sends Genevie to the mat. Genevie tries to shake it off as Ally comes over and climbs on top of Gen hammering away at Gen’s face with punches but Genevie puts her hands up to deflect the blows before grabbing Ally by her hair and throwing her off of her.

VASSA: “YES! YES!! HAIR PULLING! I LOVE IT!”

JOHNSON: “Wasn’t expecting that but these women are matching each other blow for blow.”

VASSA: “Now I just need Ally to slap them titties of Genie and my night will be made.”

JOHNSON: “You’re an animal.”

Genevie recovers but so does Ally as the two stand up and Genevie nods her head at Ally before the two circle each other in the ring and lock up. Ally gets the upper hand on Genie and wrenches her arm behind her back. Genevie shakes her head and runs straight into the ropes using the momentum to push herself backwards and headbutt Ally, causing her to let go and grab her face. She then runs at Ally clotheslining her to the mat before waiting for her to get up from it and delivering a DDT sending Ally down to the mat. She throws her arms out and taunts Ally “Welcome to my ring BITCH” and delivers a kick to the midsection of Ally. She then looks towards Ally’s leg and holds the ankle in place that Ally had injured a long time ago, and may not be 100% still and she drives her knee right into the side of it. Ally yells out and Genevie does it again. She then stands up and delivers a stomp across Ally’s ankle as Ally writhes in pain from the assault. Genevie goes to the ground and makes the pin.

ONE

.

.

TWO

Ally manages to kick out before the three can fall.

JOHNSON: “Genevie is targeting the ankle of Ally Gregory. That ankle at one time was broken. There’s been speculation it’s not 100 percent. She’s clearly got her strategy in order.”

VASSA: “Crafty, big tittied goddess of mine. She needs to ditch that twink Eli and get with a real winner like me.”

JOHNSON: “I can see the mustard stains on your shirt and I’m not even looking at you. Real winner.”

Genevie shakes her head and grabs Ally by her hair pulling her up to her feet. Ally drives her fist into Genevie’s stomach causing her to double over She strikes her again and rises to her feet. She limps for a second before getting her bearings as Genevie backs up holding her midsection. Ally bounces off the ropes and jumps up dropkicking Genevie to the mat. She limps for a second but it doesn’t make Ally stop her momentum as she waits for Genevie to sit up before delivering a powerful kick to the side of Genevie’s head. She then wraps Genevie up in an Anaconda Vice hold in the center of the ring. Genevie starts kicking her legs as the ref drops down and asks her if she gives up. She says no and tries to reach for the ropes as Ally wrenches the hold in even more.

JOHNSON: “This doesn’t look good for Genie. She’s got nowhere to go.”

VASSA: “Come on Genie! You can’t lose this! Trash this hoe!”

JOHNSON: “It would be something if Ally came here and beat Genie on her home turf.”

VASSA: “IT WOULD BE A TRAVESTY!”

JOHNSON: “Calm down..”

Genevie kicks and reaches anywhere she can but she can’t break the hold. Ally doesn’t let go and she pulls harder as Genevie scratches and claws at her home to release the hold. Just when it feels like Genevie is gonna tap she yells at the ref someone is coming down the ramp and points. The ref turns and Genevie takes her hand and rakes the eyes of Ally Gregory causing her to grab her face and let go of the hold. Genevie rolls away from Ally and tries to recover as Ally shakes off what Genevie just did to her face. The ref turns back around and Genevie rises to her feet and shrugs before walking over to Ally and picking her up. She slings her over her shoulders before swinging her forward and driving Ally to the mat with an Alabama Slam.

Genevie then taunts the crowd that she’s the best and Ally is trash. To a mixed reaction from the fans. She turns around and sees Ally starting to climb up. She rolls her eyes and takes off at a run behind her before hitting her signature move the #BOWDOWN (Natural Selection) It drives Ally’s face into the mat and she goes to the ground and locks in a submission of her own she calls Killing You Hoes(Banks Statement) She screams at Ally to tap out and she refuses as the ref asks her.

VASSA: “THAT’S MY GIRL! GO! MAKE HER TAP!”

JOHNSON: “Ally Gregory is in trouble. Genevie has that hold locked in tightly. We could see Genevie win this right now.”

VASSA: “I want to see some titties. I’m just hoping for a victory flash.”

JOHNSON: “You’re impossible.”

Genevie screams for Ally to tap as she wrenches back harder on her submission. The ref asks Ally if she wants to tap and she says no as she desperately reaches for the ropes. Her fingers come inches from meeting them before Genevie tries to scoot both of them backwards and away, but Ally manages after a few moments to crawl forward and reach a hand on the ropes. The ref tells her to break the hold but Genevie keeps it locked in.

“One! … Two! … Three! … Four!”

Genevie let’s go at the last second before she gets herself disqualified. Ally lays on the mat as the referee scoots Gen back, and she waits for Ally to stand up before Genevie pushes the referee out of the way and goes running at Ally. Ally moves out of the way and sends Genevie flying through the ropes and to the outside where she lands hard on the floor. Ally goes to the top rope and looks down at Genevie with a smirk before she jumps from the top and lands a diving senton to Genevie laying on the outside.

JOHNSON: “Ally risked herself to land that move to the outside and now both women are laid out.”

VASSA: “I saw this photo on the internet one time of Genie and her nipple was out. Can we get a camera angle just to check for wardrobe malfunctions?”

JOHNSON: “I’m ignoring you. The ref has started the count. Ally and Genie might both lose this match by countout.”

“One! … Two! … Three!”

Ally starts to get up first.

“Four! … Five!”

Genevie starts getting up as well. She’s doubled over and it’s clear her and Ally are both tired.

“Six! … Seven!”

Genevie and Ally look at each other and then seem to realize where they are. Neither one of them want to lose or win this match by countout.

“Eight!”

Genevie and Ally both manage to slide under the bottom rope and the ref stops counting as both women rise to their feet both still feeling the effects of the moves landed from the outside. They start trading punches, trying to hit the other harder and gain some leverage. The volley of punches goes back and forth until eventually Ally hits Genie right in her forehead, which isn’t as big as our favorite forehead Phe’s but it’s still effective in knocking Genevie to the ground. If Ally would have wanted a real target though she would have hit Genevie in that beak she calls a nose..Anyways… Genevie is laying on the mat and Ally takes this time to go back to the top rope. She doesn’t hesitate as she dives from the top and delivers a Frog Splash to a downed Genevie. She immediately goes for the pin.

ONE

.

.

TWO

.

.

THR–

Genevie kicks out at the last second. Ally seems frustrated with the referee at this point and makes him aware of this.

JOHNSON: “That was a close call. For a woman who hasn’t done much wrestling in the past year Ally is showing incredible strength and resilience against a seasoned 4CW veteran like Genevie.”

VASSA: “Genie has Ally right where she wants her.”

JOHNSON: “Right..”

Back in the ring Ally is frustrated. She wants to put Genevie away so she stands her up and Gen seems dazed and out of it. Ally steps back and acts as if she is about to blow a kiss, black asian mist appears and Genevie ducks out of the way of it at the last second. The mist dissipates in the air but Ally still goes for the next part of her finisher the KISS OF DEATH and tries to land a codebreaker on Genie. Genie counters it and picks Ally up delivering a spinebuster. Ally grabs her back in pain as Genie tries to take the moment to lean against the ropes and recover. She waits for Ally to climb up. Trying to catch her own breath and Genie runs straight for her lifting her leg up and delivering the STILETTO KISS driving Ally face first into the mat. She quickly goes for the pin.

ONE

.

.

TWO

.

.

THREE!!!

DING!!! DING!!! DING!!!

The bell rings and Genevie stands up proudly as the ref raises her hand in victory.

POWERS: “HERE IS YOUR WINNER BY PINFALL… GENEVIE CCAARRLLSSOONN!!!”

She looks down smugly at Ally as she starts to move and realize the match is over as “Like a Prayer” begins playing, and she’s disappointed.

JOHNSON: “What a hell of a match these ladies put on tonight. Ally Gregory has nothing to be ashamed of. She gave as good as she got here tonight and almost took out Genevie numerous occasions! I would love to see her back in a 4CW ring!”

VASSA: “Now you sound like an idiot! She has everything to be ashamed of! Genevie beat her in the middle of this ring! She did what she said she was going to do all along! She gave Ally another L! Something only one other person has done. Genie is another level! My beautiful big tittied goddess! Come here and give me the victory motorboat!”

JOHNSON: “Yeah I don’t think that’s happening. Folks we waited over a year to see it happen and it did not disappoint!”

Genevie makes her way out of the ring and puts an L on her forehead and points at Ally who’s glaring up the ramp at her before she slumps down in the ring and runs her fingers through her hair disappointed with herself as the cameras cut elsewhere.

The video cuts quickly to a new shot of Rorie in front of a door. The door belonged to Perry Wallace. The owner of this lovely establishment. She snapped her fingers quickly, but didn’t get a response. She turned her head towards Wong.

STEELE: “Knock on the fucking door.”

He nodded and did as she said, knocking loudly. Before getting a response, however, she opened it and walked inside. Perry was at his desk doing who knows what. Probably looking at robot porn on his computer. Rorie walked to a chair in front of his desk and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. Wong stayed at the door.

STEELE: “Perry.”

WALLACE: “Rorie. Nice to see you.”

STEELE: “Mm. Right. You wanted this little meeting between us. You going to provide a reason, or should I just assume you realized you made a mistake and finally made a decision of your own for once in your life?”

Her lip curved up on the left side of her mouth, giving him a smarmy look.

WALLACE: “Excuse you!”

STEELE: “Sorry, sugar. Did I hit the nail on the head, there? You’re little lap dog with a bad nose job not here to defend you?”

WALLACE: “Who the hell are you even talking about? You still mad I never called back after that one night? Look it, I called you here for a reason, and probably not the reason that you’re used to being called for.”

From behind them, Wong could be heard clearing his throat.

WALLACE: “Oh excuse me, who’s this guy? Did someone order Chinese?”

Looking across the room, Perry looked at the gentleman for a moment. A puzzled look came over him, as if he somewhat recognized the unknown man from somewhere else.

STEELE: “He’s my driver. Shut the fuck up. I’m talking about that absolute cuntstain that you were fucking last time I was here. You know… the night you let her off her chain and fire me?”

WALLACE: “Well…”

He leans back in his chair, placing both hands behind his head.

WALLACE: “… about that. You see, there comes a time in every man’s life when he realizes that he’s wasting his time. I’m sure you can relate. I just hope you didn’t go as far as to pretend being married to someone after said person dumped you.”

STEELE: “Me? Marriage? We all know that’s never going to happen again, Perry.”

Another throat clearing.

STEELE: “I’ve wasted my time with many people, Perry. In fact, one person is in this room right now. And he isn’t the help. So what fucking grace of God philosophical fucking bullshit conclusion did you come up with?”

WALLACE: “About what?”

He questions, not giving Rorie all of his attention. Instead, he was examining her escort, trying to put a name to a face.

STEELE: “Jesus fucking Christ…”

She stands up, slamming her hands on his desk, getting his attention back to her.

STEELE: “Why the fuck did you ask me here, Perry? What do you want?”

WALLACE: “It’s rather simple, really.”

Leaning forward, he places his elbows against the desk, looking up to Rorie.

WALLACE: “I’ve called you here tonight to offer you a job, out of the kindness of my heart. And no, not that kind of job if you catch my drift.”

She clenched her teeth at the last comment.

STEELE: “These little jabs are really making me want to take your offer, you know? Tell me… Why? Trying to fill a void?”

She sat back down in her chair.

WALLACE: “Fill a void with what? Aside from the attitude, you’re really not that bad. So why not bring the whole package back to 4CW. I mean, there’s always WWH.”

He says with a grin on his face before leaning back in his chair and relaxing.

STEELE: “Puke. No thanks. You know, I’m willing to do YOU a favour. Out with the old, right? You are getting rid of some… extra baggage, aren’t you?”

She smirked at him.

WALLACE: “People come and people go, that’s just business. I’m just trying to put all the baddest mother fuckers in one place.”

STEELE: “Now that’s a line I like to hear. You know what, Perry? You’ve got a deal.”

With a nod, he then stands up from his seat and walks across the room to the minibar. He pours himself a glass of Scotch before turning back to Rorie.

WALLACE: “Care for a drink?”

STEELE: “Yes. I would.”

He grabs a second glass and begins to pour as he glances over at the escort.

WALLACE: “I don’t know who you are but you look awfully familiar. Watch yourself. I got my eyes on you.”

Placing the bottle down, he grabs both glasses before walking over to the desk.

WALLACE: “There is one other thing, Rorie.”

Rorie took the glass and raised a brow.

STEELE: “And that is…?”

His eyes shift to her mini skirt.

WALLACE: “I don’t know if you realized this but there’s something that appears to be a huge jizz stain on your skirt. You might want to get your chinaman to get something to clean that with.”

He takes a drink from his glass, glancing over to the unknown and then back to Rorie. She looks down at her skirt and laughs quietly.

STEELE: “When you lost your wife, did you lose your ability to see as well? Or are you just going senile with your old age? That’s part of the design of the skirt.”

She shot the scotch back and slammed the glass on the table.

STEELE: “Thanks for the drink, Sugar. We’ll see you soon.”

She brought her hand up and blew a kiss to him, going to leave the room. Wong followed behind, as the two left the office and closed the door behind them. Standing in the hall, Cedric, Wong, whatever fake name you want to call him, stepped in closely to Rorie and pushed his sunglasses to the tip of his nose. His eyes becoming more familiar. Rorie would never let just anyone that close.

DONG: “I think we need to get you somewhere to clean that. I think he’s right about that stain. I’d know, I put it there.”

She ran a finger along his lips before moving to punch his shoulder, shaking her head.

STEELE: “You’re the help. Shouldn’t be touching me at all.”

She licked her lips and moved away from him.

STEELE: “And you know damn well it’s the skirt, Kn-… Wong. Look. There’s two more just like it. Here and here. And over here and here.”

She pointed to each spot on her skirt, twirling in front of him. She stopped and got serious again.

STEELE: “Now come here… ‘Wong’. I’ve a new job for you.”

His eyes, all you could see where his eyes, a fiery madness inside them. The camera slowly starts to zoom out and you realize that these are the eyes of Dakota Smith. Twitching, a unsettling jitter about his whole face as a snarl forms across his lips. The camera continues to zoom out until his whole upper body was in the frame, he was dressed for his match later on with Viduus. Dakota’s eyes never left the camera, he was focused on it. But not just it, he was focused on who was watching. He snaps out, like a dog when you get too close to its bone accompanied a growl coming from deep within the man formerly known as The Butcher.

SMITH:”Tonight’s the night! Tonight is the night that we find out if I needed The Butcher, if claiming him dead was something I shouldn’t of done. Will Dakota Smith be able to hold up the legacy that he has carved out for himself? Or will this new breed of darkness swallow him whole? Will Viduus Morta take out the most violent man in 4CW history…I…”

Dakota pauses, his eyes glancing away from the camera as he looks down at the ground. Slowly, almost in a menacing manner he spins his neck around his shoulders. The snarl, forming into a perverted, twisted grin. One side of his face just a little bit droopy, He glares back up into the camera and lets out a low, demonic sounding chuckle.

SMITH:”Bad things are going to happen tonight Viduus, very bad things. A monarchy will die, as a kingdom rises. I know just as well as you that we are going to tear each other apart in that ring. I’m not underestimating you, oh no not again! You have tricks up your sleeves, but me… I am as the kids would say the bees knees. As in if I pierce your flesh one to many times you just might cease to exist. And I’m sure that wouldn’t be something that your higher power would want… Now is it Morta? How will he feel knowing you failed once again. Failed to live up to your potential! FAILED TO EARN YOUR MARK! Fuck how this so called higher power will feel!”

Pointing to the camera Dakota runs his other hand through his hair, pulling it a little in psychotic frustration.

SMITH:”How will you feel? Will you be able to live with yourself knowing that once again you botched this attempt to make yourself famous in the eyes of the 4CW fans! Beating me, why it would be a stepping stone into greatness for you! BUT I HAVE PANES OF GLASS AT MY DISPOSABLE! But I’ll only need one to slice you up like a pig at slaughter. How much blood can one man lose before he ceases to exist? You want to be a blood king… Then let me help you look the part!”

A monstrous boastful laugh, Dakota really letting it get away from him, committing to make this fit of laughter to look as menacing, as well as disturbing as possible. Strands of his sweat filled hair falling front of his face as he snaps himself up, glaring into the camera, grinding his teeth in between words.

SMITH:”You wanted this, you asked for it, you begged for it! And now tonight it’s right here in front of you. I’m right here! No more games Viduus, no more magic. I can already feel it inside of me now, the growing lust to hack you to pieces. Win or lose… Viduus… You’re walking out a broken man.”

Dakota takes a few steps forward, a bit of his stalkerish nature showing in his steps. He inches closer to the camera until his entire face almost consumes it. He extends his tongue out and licks the camera before the camera cuts to static.

The cameras cut backstage where giggling is heard off screen until the cameraman turns to follow the voices. Phoenix Quagliaterre and Kimitsu Zombie end up coming into the frame as Phoenix is seated on a crate while engaged into what looks like an extremely pleasant conversation with Kimitsu who seems to be hanging onto Phoenix’s every word. Kimitsu has just asked Phoenix a question and the cameraman has gotten close enough to where the conversation can be heard thoroughly.

THE ‘SUPERIOR’ QUAGLIATERRE: ”No no no, see what had happened was that after the VPW show on V Day, I had a charity event to help out at that I had planned to be there for. X had hit me up and asked me what I was doing for that day actually a day before and I had told him about the event. I even asked if he would like to help out with it. So like, after the show, the event happened and I ended up donating alot more than I had planned to the charity but no complaints here. So keep in mind, remember I told you that the Gemelli were a bit under the weather, right? So after the event in Vegas, I had flew straight home to LA and even though I knew that they would be sleep by then, I still just wanted to be home with them. But… I had NO idea that CW had planned this BIG romantic night at my place so when I got there… I was so surprised.”

Phoenix gives a dramatic and playful sigh while acting like she’s holding her heart as Kimitsu laughs at the gesture.

THE ‘SUPERIOR’ QUAGLIATERRE: ”He’s suuuuuch a sweetheart. I mean, he’s already asked me to get back with him but I mean, I feel that I need to be courted first. I can’t be jumping into another relationship even if we have already dated but I had already committed to wanting to take things slow before I got back into another relationship. But with him, I know that he’s really genuine about things. He’s not trying to use me nor has ulterior motives. But, even with that… I still feel that-“

? ? ?: ”Ahem…”

The sudden interruption had both Phoenix and Kimitsu turning their heads as the approaching Dr. Antonia Patton made her presence known. Her eyes were kind but stern as she smiled politely at Kimitsu with a friendly head nod for a greeting before looking at Phoenix with a half smile. Kimitsu knew that things were about to get real between Phoenix and her therapist but she also knew that Phoenix would rather take care of this herself so she excused herself with planting a kiss on Phoenix’s cheek and giving her a departing embrace before making her exit. Folding her arms across her chest, the irritated Phoenix narrows her eyes at Dr. Patton.

THE ‘SUPERIOR’ QUAGLIATERRE: ”Excuse you, I was in the middle of an important conversation.”

PATTON: ”I see that… you were very enthusiastic and ebullient when talking about your supposed Prince Charming. Is he the reason why you cancelled today’s session with me today?”

THE ‘SUPERIOR’ QUAGLIATERRE: ”No… he is not. Besides, he’s not even in Texas, he’s in New York. I had to set up TWO lunches today, okay?? TWO. One for Kimi and Jair, which was a business meeting between manager and clients. The second was for Jason and Eli, because I wanted them to make up after they fell out, remember the big twitter blow up where Jason wanted to kill X? So I had a very busy afternoon. NOT to mention my kids came with me for the trip so of course I had to tend to them and of course I wanted to go out on an outing with them before the show. AND Jae’s younger twin brothers’ birthday is today so we also had a bit of a party earlier before the show as well to celebrate it.”

PATTON: ”Hmmm… okay I guess I can accept that.”

THE ‘SUPERIOR’ QUAGLIATERRE: ”Besides, why does it matter? Aren’t you going to set up an appointment for my biggest hater of the night? Alessandro DID ask you for a session, even though it was only to get back at me because I was coming to the show tonight. I can NOT believe he made it about him, as if I am here to sabotage his match when Jair can beat him on his own. He’s acting as if Q isn’t fighting tonight, Genie also has a match, Kimi is fighting in the same match as Q is, of course I’m also here for Jair, your son in law is fighting, Cosmo Cooper The Gawd-“

PATTON: ”Wait a minute, are you upset because he tried to book an appointment with me?”

THE ‘SUPERIOR’ QUAGLIATERRE: ”No, I am IRRITATED because he tried to make my presence at Retrograde all about him. That’s what killed my mood, I’M not the one stalking him, HE’S the one stalking me! Did you see that he said he was going to pop up at VPW? I promise to god if he tries anything, I’ll beat his ass again and THIS time Sindaya won’t be able to stop me.”

Dr. Patton takes a step back as Phoenix stands up from the crate with clenched fists, those green eyes of her fueled with fire from the boiling frustration she had for Alessandro. After watching her seethe with silent anger for a few seconds, Dr. Patton finally steps forward and wraps a comforting arm around Phoenix’s shoulders as she makes her take a walk with her. As they get further and further away, Dr. Patton can be heard telling Phoenix to do her breathing exercises before the scene fades out.

POWERS: “The following contest is a Triple Threat Tag Match and it is for the 4CW Tag Team Championships!”

It’s the tinkling of the eerie music box that brings the lights down, the crowd murmuring with anticipation, as slowly and silently the big screens seems to crack one by one.

Shadows lurk curiously, distorted by the cracks as an almost mechanical synth leads into the stutter of heavy guitar.

Red lights pulse in time as the lights flicker erratically casting light and dark chaotically, the mechanical synth returns as a female silhouette materializes amid the pulsating red and dark to a mixed reaction. Most cheer in appreciation of the show that they’re about to witness but many jeer due to her previous affiliations and general devil-just-doesn’t-give-a-fuck attitude.

POWERS: “Hailing from Atlantic City, New Jersey… standing five feet, eight inches tall, weighing in at one hundred and forty-two pounds, she is the ‘Distorted Angel’ AMBER RRYYAANN!!!”

Maria Brink’s almost taunting, sarcastic lyrics lead the ‘Distorted Angel’ down as fans look for acknowledgement, extending hands and waving signs but most recieve little more than a sharp nod or sly wink for their efforts.

She circles the ring, messing with whichever ring crew and staff that happen to be within vicinity before methodically and deliberately sliding beneath the bottom rope and crossing to one of the far corners.

“Baby go ahead

I’ll be your hatred and your pain

This is killing us all

I don’t care if I fall

We’re the dying, we are the damned”

Climbing the turnbuckle left handed, she watches out over the crowd to gauge the reaction, returning the mixed reaction with an acknowledging nod of her own before somewhat turning awkwardly on the spot and taking a seat upon the top turnbuckle.

“I know I don’t belong in this scene

Sex metal barbie, homicidal queen.”

With hands clasped and elbows resting on her knees and that familiar Distorted Angel smirk ever present across her face, she waits for the fun to really begin with that confidence that she and Boston will be leaving the ring with those tag titles tonight.

VASSA: “Mark Storm about to get those Battle Born hands by Jeb and the fuck me eyes about to be strong tonight with Amber and Madison! ”

JOHNSON: “Vinny… control yourself. Welcome back, folks and as you can see it’s finally time for the big tag match that everyone’s been waiting for! Amber Ryan is the first to make the arrival out and you can tell by the look on her face that she’s determined to come out of this match one half of the 4CW Tag Team Champions.”

VASSA: “Not if Cosmo has something to say about it.”

The sound of a gun cocking before unloading a bullet from the chamber projects throughout the arena, as “Made You Look” by Nas begins playing over the PA system to a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd. From the gorilla position, Boston emerges, holding a towel wrapped around his neck. With fire in his eyes, he looks out amongst the audience, as he begins walking toward the top of the ramp. Once he has reached the peak of his mode of conveyance toward the ring, Boston simply stops and smirks, while typically scratching his head. With a slow saunter, Boston makes his way to the ring.

POWERS: “Making his way to the ring, from Dewey Beach, Delaware… BBOOSSTTOONN!!!”

Once at ringside, Boston jumps upon the ring apron with a single leap, before catapulting himself over the top rope, landing on the mat with a bounce toward whichever corner he had been designated. Tossing the towel to the side, he nonchalantly strolls over to Amber as the camera cuts back to the stage.

The opening lyrics to “You Want A Battle? (Here’s A War) by Bullet For My Valentine begins to echo throughout the arena as 4CW rise to their feet and sing along. The lights dim and smoke begins to overtake the entranceway. Chris Madison and Mark Storm emerge and stand shoulder to shoulder as they look out into the live audience. Mark Storm closes his eyes and hold his arms outward as Chris Madison bounces from side to side on the balls of his feet. Madison clenches his fists, raises them up to his head and pounds both sides of his jaw before letting out a roar.

POWERS: “Fighting at a combined weight of four hundred and twenty five pounds, the team of Mark Storm and Chris Madison…. INVICTUS FIGHT CCLLUUBB!!!”

Madison and Storm make their way down to the ring and Madison immediately marches up the steel steps and climbs through the ropes. He hops up onto the middle rope and looks out towards the crowd, raising both arms above his head as Mark Storm stops on the steps facing the audience and lets out a triumphant roar, with the audience roaring back to him. Storm joins his partner in the ring and the duo turn their attention to the task at hand, immediately putting their game faces on, looking ready to scrap while the unfazed Amber and smirking Boston look on.

JOHNSON: “Tensions seem to be flying high tonight and our illustrious tag champions haven’t even made their arrival yet.”

VASSA: “Yeah that sexual tension is something else.”

“Paper Planes“ starts to play over the speaker system as Jeb Fisher and Cosmo Cooper step out onto the entrance ramp. Jeb holding his 4CW Tag-Team Championship around his waist and Cosmo with his thrown across his shoulder. Cosmo, who is a little more relaxed than Jeb drops down to one knee – extending out his arms out as Jeb stands behind him, driving one of his fists into his own jaw. The two take everything in before Jeb smacks Cosmo’s championship and points to the ring. Cosmo stands up and the pair make their way down the ramp. Cosmo slapping hands on the way down, but Jeb being solely focused on the ring.

POWERS: “Making their way down to the ring at a combined weight of four hundred and seventy pounds. I present you with your reigning, and defending 4CW Tag-Team Champions of the world! JEEB FISHHER! COSMO COOOOPER! THEY ARE BATTLE BBOORRNN!!!”

Cosmo stops at the steps to remove his flip-flops and accompanying entrance attire, Jeb doesn’t hesitate to get in the ring however – leaping up onto the ring apron and quickly going in through the ropes. Undoing his 4CW Tag Team Championship and holding it up in the air as he waits for Cosmo to walk up the steps and hop over the top rope. The two stand in the center both holding their belts up as the other two tag teams shoot them those serious look to let them know that they had plans to dethrone the reigning champions tonight. Cosmo raises an eyebrow while Jeb sneers with those eyes of him seeming to cut through each and every opponent, daring them to bring their best so that he and Cosmo could show them who was the superior tag team in this ring right now.

VASSA: “Look at them all getting up in each other’s faces…. it’s always funny to me when Boston looks at Madison. That’s like some love triangle shit right there.”

JOHNSON: “Will you stop with this nonsense again?”

VASSA: “All I’m saying is that its a pay per view so ANYYYTHIIIIINGGGG can happen.”

DING!!! DING!!!

The bell had everyone throwing hands like a wild bar brawl as the audience got riled up with excitement and cheering the fighting while the commentators paid close attention so that they didn’t miss a thing. Boston quickly hemmed Madison up and threw him into the corner to try to strong arm him against the turnbuckle with an assortment of gut kicks and quick right jabs while Mark ran at Cosmo and ended up getting straight body slammed by the quicker athlete. The smug faced Jeb is ducking Amber’s punches while she continues moving from foot to foot swiftly, changing her foot pattern to the point that it throws Jeb off and she’s able to get a good two slugs to the face in before kneeing him in the stomach.

Madison has now gained the upper hand on Boston and is literally trying to make a dent into the poor man’s side with those repeated knee strikes into the ribs that are relentless enough to almost make Boston drop to his knees. He is saved though when the stumbling Amber ends up bumping her back against him from the hard elbow to the face that she caught from the revenging Jeb, causing Madison to stop his assault on Boston to quickly turn with thinking one of the other opponents were attacking him from behind. Boston takes advantage of the distraction and quickly turns Madison around for a DDT. King Cosmo had Hero Mark trying to think out of the box to get one over on him because Cosmo moved so fast that he was countering Mark’s move as if he were a sandal wearing Neo and Mark was the infamous Agent Smith.

VASSA: “I can’t believe the Hero is out here looking like the sidekick with this beatdown. It’s almost embarrassing to watch. But then again, remember when Bane broke Batman’s back in The Dark Knight Rises. Goddamn, Cosmo don’t Bane Mark!”

JOHNSON: “Look at the way that Amber and Jeb are battling for the upper hand. Amber never ceases to amaze me, having the sort of style that always throws people off and makes it hard to be able to follow her strategy.”

VASSA: “Steve, I guarantee you that Madison can MORE than find out her style… Told you, it’s pay per view night. If Invictus Fight Club wins, he MIGHT even let Amber wear the belt nak-”

JOHNSON: “A SMOOTH counter from the always ready Madison with a beautiful butterfly suplex to follow. The numbers may be high in the ring tonight but the team who wants the win the most will most certainly find a way to get that pinfall or lock in that successful submission hold with no interruptions.”

Madison barrels Boston’s head into the turnbuckle post and then gives him a nice trip to the outside when he tosses him over the ropes and ends up turning to see that Mark is in trouble with Cosmo. He rushes over as fast as he can to help out his partner, going as far as to drive his elbow into the back of Cosmo’s head a few times until Cosmo lets go of Mark and Mark is able to step back and catch his breath before he gets his revenge with kicking Cosmo in the gut a couple of times to the point where Madison is able to bend down and successfully hoist Cosmo up onto his shoulders as the audience hold their breath with predicting a powerful slam coming after the electric chair lift. But Madison instead just keeps Cosmo up on his shoulders while Mark is springboarding from the top rope and ends up slamming Cosmo down to the mat.

JOHNSON: “ELEVATED SPRINGBOARD SLINGBLADE!! Invictus Fight Club working together to double their strength, a very smart move on their part.”

VASSA: “REALLY, Steve?! They just jumped Cosmo!”

JOHNSON: “No Vinny, that was a tag team being effective with showing great teamwork.”

Meanwhile, Boston has moved on to giving Amber an assist with Jeb, although she had been doing such a fantastic job holding her own against the callous Jeb. Now Boston is holding Jeb’s arms securely while Amber gets her shots in with savage punches. It seems like the tag champions are at a disadvantaged at the moment with the tag teams ganging up on them, something that hadn’t been planned but it definitely seemed to be going well for the competitors. It all went left though as Boston finally let go of Jeb and Amber was sprinting forward for another attack on Jeb but he ended up quickly moving out of the way and unfortunately Boston ended up eating that Yakuza kick. Amber is definitely shocked by that but knows she can’t afford to dwell on that as she quickly turns around to get back into battle and is instead irish whipped roughly across the ring into the turnbuckle.

Jeb notices Cosmo holding his own against Madison and Mark even though Invictus Fight Club has the upper hand so Jeb goes over to even those odds as he immediately starts on Madision, ready to begin roughing him up. A quick European uppercut from Mark to Cosmo shows that Mark is trying to quickly maintain that upper hand and he does for a bit until Cosmo got a hold of him and the way that Mark’s body hit the mat after that release german suplex had some of the fans standing to their feet with those O shaped mouths and concentrated eyes on this exploding match.

VASSA: “Cosmo must be drinking that BANG drink, he’s definitely on fire tonight!”

JOHNSON: “After a double Northern Lights Suplex and a Double Flapjack from Invictus Fight Club, Cosmo still has enough energy in him to tear down a building. It’s downright inspiring-”

VASSA: “HOLLLLY SHIT, BOSTON JUST CRACKED MADISON IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD WITH A CHAIR!!!”

Madison had just gotten knocked out of the ring by Jeb and never had time to react in defense because as soon as he had made it onto his feet, the sneaky Boston had caught him slipping. With a triumphant smile, Boston drops the chair and slides back into the ring to insert himself into part two of Jeb and Amber throwing hands. This time though, Jeb doesn’t allow the two to tag team him as he shoves Amber out of the way and decides to give Boston this work, having him catching hands more than one of Migos’ victims of the week. Amber is forced to watch Boston encounter an aggressive Jeb Fireman’s Carry while she’s getting to her feet and waits until Jeb is about to pick up Boston from the mat before she whistles to catch his attention so that he can turn around and she makes her attack with a running Shiranui.

Mark might have seemed down in majority of his fight tonight with Cosmo but he was not out as the sheer determination in his eyes shows that he refuses to give up, that he’s going to get fighting on. When a deadlift suplex didn’t do the trick on Cosmo, he tried for a dragon suplex. Next he went for a spinebuster and as soon as Cosmo stood to his feet, Mark seemed to explode with so much aggression and threw various punches and kicks to the point that Cosmo ended up taking a knee. But when Mark took a step forward, Cosmo suddenly tackles him to the mat and Mark’s face is an open buffet for Cosmo’s hits. Madison finally is able to slide into the ring and although that chair shot definitely was a lethal one, it wasn’t hard enough to take him out. He sees Cosmo trying to kill his tag partner and hurriedly gets to his feet to attack Cosmo.

Amber is working Jeb over while Boston is still recuperating from Jeb’s earlier assault. He looks on as Amber’s Enzuigiri puts Jeb down for just a moment but then he’s back on his feet…. until that tilt a whirl headscissors takedown had him back on the mat. Cosmo, however, is going for the pin on Mark and Boston changes strategy from heading over to help Amber out to making a quick beeline over to Cosmo to break up the pin with a heavy stomp on the back.

JOHNSON: “Ohhhhh so close, Cosmo was about to have the match won for Battle Born but Boston put an end to that.”

VASSA: “I just want to talk about how Cosmo tried to break Mark’s back…”

JOHNSON: “He never tried to do that, Vinny.”

VASSA: “NOT YET, he didn’t. NOT-YET!”

Cosmo is practically trying to break Boston’s arm for disrupting his pin while Madison, who had taken way too many headbutts from Cosmo earlier to the point that he ended up on the mat, sees Mark surprise Amber from behind with a half-nelson suplex and decides to make a go for Jeb. Jeb and Madison trade punches back and forth, trying to make their punches more powerful with each punch to knock the other off of their feet, something that was proving hard to do but both of the athletes refusing to stop this punch battle. Amber has just hit the Original Sin on Mark and with him so close to the ropes, he ends up deciding to slowly roll out of the ring so that Amber can’t attempt a possible successful pin on him. Rolling her eyes, she turns and rushes over to help out Boston from the unmerciful Cosmo.

As soon as she reaches them though, Jeb suddenly grabs her by the arm from behind and pulls her towards him, going for the Soap Drop when suddenly Madison comes out of nowhere and gets Jeb with a back headlock. Amber smiles at Madison in a respectful manner before turning to see Boston still brawling with Cosmo. Amber starts towards them before she suddenly falls to the mat and the camera shows that Mark had grabbed her by the ankles from the outside to make her fall as he pulls her towards the ropes to pull her out of the ring. He then climbs onto the apron but is sent falling off by a quick clothesline by Madison.

Cosmo has went for the pin on Boston and the referee is there to make the count.

ONE

.

.

TWO

.

.

THR–

Madison there with the quick elbow drop to break up the pin, pulling Cosmo to his feet to irish whip him. Before Madison can charge at Cosmo, Jeb comes out of nowhere with a running clothesline to put him down so Cosmo makes his way back over to finish the job with Boston. But Boston decides to fight back and knees Cosmo in the face before going for the Back Pocket which was enough to put Cosmo down for a few seconds and enough time for Boston to work to getting onto his feet fully.

He leans down to begin pulling Cosmo onto his feet and ends up with a surprise from Cosmo as he instead pulls Boston down low enough so that he can drive his knee into Boston’s face.

VASSA: “GODDAMN, COSMO PRACTICALLY KO’ED BOSTON!”

JOHNSON: “Would love to see him competing in MMA while continuing to wrestle. I think he has it in him to be successful in both areas at the same time.”

VASSA: “You didn’t know? MMA companies are afraid to sign him.”

JOHNSON: “Now where did you get that from, Vinny- OHHH did you see that!? CRATER MAKER out of nowhere, i think that’s it for Boston.”

Cosmo covers Boston as the cameras show a battling Amber and Mark outside of the ring. Madison is sprinting across the ring to break the pin but Jeb comes out of nowhere with a big boot to the face from the side that catches the entire right side of Madison’s face and puts his down. The cameras fall back on Cosmo pinning Boston while the referee begins the count.

ONE

.

.

TWO

.

.

THREE!!!

DING!!! DING!!! DING!!!

POWERS: ”Here are your winners, AND STILL the 4CW Tag Team Champions… BATTLE BBOORRNN!!!”

The audience booms with excitement and loud cheers as the retaining champions regroup in the middle of the ring with Jeb checking on Cosmo. The referee returns to their side and presents them with their prestigious tag titles as the audience is almost as loud as their blaring theme music. Amber is pulling Boston’s hand from the outside towards the ropes so that she can help him out of the ring while Madison is exiting the ring where Mark is waiting and ready to check on him. The cameras cut to the tired but triumphant champions inside of the ring as they raise their titles high, those screams from the audience only getting louder as they also basked in the victory with Battle Born.

The scene cut backstage to Gavin Grimes standing next to wall that had barbed wire all around it. He glanced over at the unforgiving barbed wire, then back at the camera.

GRIMES: “I told myself I wouldn’t do one of these cliche promos, but here we are, right?”

He laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

GRIMES: “This is a match unlike any other for all of us. We need to eliminate our opponents and throw them into the most unforgiving replacement you could find for wrestling ropes. The barbed wire that’s going to be all around that ring is going to be razor sharp, it’s going to cut and slice you up without a care in the world and what is it for? It’s to become the XTV Champion and you know what? It’s all worth it.”

Gavin gave the camera a smile and confident nod.

GRIMES: “I’ve talked enough about my opponents and what I think of them. I respect all of them and I know they all bring something different to the table, I know that this is going to be one of the biggest tests of my life. I know that this is an uphill battle but let me be clear, this is what I do. I win these matches because I thrive in them. Make me the underdog and I become the winner. Say that I’m not a killer, and I show you the killer instinct that has made me a champion, over and over again. Look over me and I’ll have you looking up at me. It’s all as simple as that.”

He smiled as he paused and looked down at the barbed wire again.

GRIMES: “You think this stuff scares me though? Do you think that I’m going to be afraid of it? That I’m going to let it get in my head?”

He shook his head.

GRIMES: “I’m not. I’m focused on this match and I’m ready and willing to put my body on the line to call myself the XTV Champion. I want to be the XTV Champion that 4CW deserves, too. Because a few of the people in this match? They want the belt to make themselves look good, to find some of their former glory, since they’ve been in slumps. Aidan? She wants it to prop herself up, she wants to keep the belt to make herself look like the best but me? I want to make that belt important. I want to give it meaning, I want it to be the belt that people bust their asses for, night in and night out. I want to be a fighting champion, I want to be YOUR fighting champion.

He grabbed a hold of the barbed wire and gripped it tight, letting it cut deep into his hand before letting go and pulling his hand away before showing it to the camera.

GRIMES: “If this is what it’s going to take to do that? To bleed for all of you to be the XTV Champion this place deserves? Then you can bet your ass that that’s what I’m going to do. See you all out there.”

Gavin walked away and the scene cut out.

And at that point, another retro theme blares through the Toyota Center’s P.A. system – a track with no lyrics, yet unmistakable at the moment it hits the audience’s ears…

Ryu’s theme from Street Fighter II.

Which, as the explosion of cheers that follows confirms, can only mean one thing…

VASSA:“Aw shit, tell me it’s not who I think it is…”

JOHNSON:“YES HE IS VINNY! YES HE IS!”

VASSA:“God dammit Steve I told you not to tell me!”

JOHNSON:“It’s DA #TROLL GUY! Mariano Fernandez is in the arena, straight out of Skyrim!”

VASSA:“FUCK SYRIM!”

JOHNSON:“Former 4CW Champion, former 4CW Frenzy winner, and don’t even get me started on the awards he had last year.”

VASSA:“Most pegged wrestler of Twenty-Seventeen-”

JOHNSON:“Will you stop!?”

And there Manny is, dressed in his traditional leather jacket and jeans, mic in hand, making his way to join spessal host Jason Cashe. Soaking in the wild audience’s screaming, he waits until the murmur quiets down a bit, before breathing deeply and uttering his now trademark catchphrase.

FERNANDEZ:“Hey yo. How you doing, mang?”

The fans give him a huge pop!

FERNANDEZ:“Well see chicos, I WILL admit after Fright Night, I was at the very end of human resistance. Both physically and mentally it was a very hard time, and I needed the time to recover. It wasn’t by any means easy, and it took a hell longer than I expected, but the physical part wasn’t the problem, mang.”

He taps his right temple with his index finger.

FERNANDEZ:“This here, that’s where the toughest fight was. A wise guy once said “sometimes the greatest battle is the battle within”, and after Fright Night, in the hospital first and at home once I got discharged, I experienced just that. After all I’ve been through last year, I might have just sat there thinking “What the hell am I gonna do now?” Because no matter what anyone tells you, there’s one fundamental truth…”

Mariano takes a deep breath.

FERNANDEZ:“4CW didn’t NEED me, mang.”

But before the crowd can react, he lifts his hands up.

FERNANDEZ:“No no no, please bear with me a second, chicos. I promise it ain’t as hard as it sounds. 4CW didn’t need me, the same way it didn’t need, it never NEEDED anyone. No one, and I DO mean no one, is indispensable. You’ve seen it with Dakota when Jair set fire to his casket, you’ve seen it with Jair when Eli broke him at New Year Twenty-Seventeen. Eli himself when Bronx sent him to surgery. You’ve seen it with Genie, and Marquis, and Bronx himself at the first time, and now you have seen it with me. 4CW doesn’t NEED us, any of us. It will go on regardless and it will STILL be the number one promotion to be in, in the entire god damned world.”

The crowd begins a “4-C-DUB! 4-C-DUB! 4-C-DUB!” chant.

FERNANDEZ:”And knowing that, mang, I figured okay, 4CW moved on. I got something out of it and I can be content. Hell, if no one takes an interest when I’m cleared to wrestle, I might just call it a day, ride off into the sunset, right? But that wasn’t meant to be.”

VASSA:“Should have just gone get pegged by Paige. Alas, mang, more’s the pity.”

JOHNSON:“Fans would beg to disagree Vinny, he was voted Most Liked Wrestler of Twenty-Seventeen.”

VASSA:“That award belonged to Jett Wilder!”

FERNANDEZ:“It wasn’t meant to be, because as soon as I got cleared up, people started calling, mang. First Vengeance Pro in the CWC, then SAP, then Kamikaze in Japan, and THEN other territories in the CWC started blowing up my phone saying “Hey yo Manny, we wouldn’t mind having you around sometime…”

He throws his hands, as if he didn’t understand.

FERNANDEZ:“… and I’m like ‘Why do these people keep calling me NOW that I ain’t shit no more, mang?’. So I’m curious, I want to find that out, and so I start touring again. But among all the calls, there were some special ones, chicos, and they were only saying one thing in the unique, unmistakable way this place has…”

Pausing for effect, he takes another deep breath.

FERNANDEZ:“Get your ass back to 4CW, mang!”

The crowd explodes once more, as Mariano shuts his eyes for a second, then resumes his speech.

FERNANDEZ:“I said at the beginning that 4CW didn’t NEED me, mang. Like I said, it doesn’t need any one of us, it always moves on regardless and continues to be the best. But 4CW WANTED me back, mang. Even if I had a short reign as 4CW Champion, everyone kept giving me shit and, as Bronx would put it, ‘I have the ability to turn one win into two’, people STILL wanted me here. And that’s the greatest compliment a guy like me can receive, and the reason why I’m standing before you here tonight.”

Bowing to the crowd in appreciation, Mariano reaches into his jacket, taking out a pair of scissors, and turning to Cashe.

FERNANDEZ:“And Cashe, I ain’t forgotten one thing, which is another reason I had to come. Yes, I know you beat me, once in a four-man match, yet again in Bad Company with WORLD$TAR, even if you pinned, well – that OTHER guy. But that’s another problem for another time. I ain’t forgotten you wanted some of my hair…”

Taking the scissors to his GLORIOUS soccer mom hair, he cuts swiftly, giving the falling locks to Cashe. Dropping to his knees, Jason Cashe is in a trance. His eyes big and sparkling like an anime gif Manny would usually tweet. His mouth open in awe as he scoops up the locks of hair and holds them to his chest. In a different light he looked very much like Gollum holding his newfound “precious”.

JOHNSON:“And there you have it folks, there’s Mariano Fernandez back in 4CW!”

VASSA:“Say hello… to DA #PEG GUY!”

4CW cameras cut backstage where Cyrus Riddle is seen slumped in a chair, slowly running his jabs through his beard as he looks straight ahead.

RIDDLE: ”Millions… tonight, millions of wankers and wenches from around the world will be tuned into Retrograde. Bronx versus Ana, Dakota versus Morta, Genie versus Ally… barbed wire massacre for the XTV Championship.”

Riddle sits up slowly, leaning in with his elbows resting on his knees and fingertips pressing against one another.

RIDDLE: ”You all have no idea what is in store for you tonight. Every idea, imaginative wish, and shocking occurrence will be brought to you live and direct. Tonight, kingdoms are built on flesh and blood. Sacrifices will be made to ensure a better future for the XTV Championship and 4CW as a whole.”

RIDDLE: “Gavin Grimes, Kinsley, Marquis, Zombie, Carlisle… names of the casted out. Only one person entering this match has the endurance and knowledge to get the job done. Only one of us is capable of doing what’s necessary… and that’s within me, originating in my own nihilism.”

RIDDLE: “Your lives, your careers, they mean nothing to me. All I want is in the material, and that’s leaving Houston with me. Everything dies, and embracing your decay is the only option now. You want the Impaler, he’s at the door. Tonight… Houston Texas… Retrograde… a natural born killer turns the ring into a crime scene.”

The feed statics out quickly.

The cameras fielded backstage and it was a rather weird transition. Jair Hopkins was seen but was in a different light. Darklit backdrop in his locker room. You could barely detail what he wore but his face, you could see as the bit of light that was there shown enough motion on his face to get how he was feeling at this current moment. An expression that was rarely seen on the man’s face but tonight, he wore it. A very heated, personal battle was on deck between himself and one, Alessandro Quagliaterre. There was no smiling. There was no spoken words with Gabriel Hartman. Just him.

HOPKINS:“Tonight is a muchly celebrated night. I’ve gotten to see my Partner-In-Crime host this show in his hometown of Houston. Houston appreciates this just as Brooklyn appreciated 4CW when I pretty much headlined Barclays Center for Winter Wasteland. He’s gotten to take it all in for the evening and in just a little while, he will watch as my hands will become dripping of red, slaining a lost soul who no longer will hold purpose on this planet. You should’ve stayed in the other leagues, Alessandro. This is not for you. This division I am the King of is not for you. You should’ve stayed at the other place, you took the abuse well. Now you will take it again by me. No pegging but pouncing, yes. My fists and feet have been awaiting your face for weeks and although I’ve been active elsewhere, but my hunger to devour you–”

HOPKINS:“PAUSE!”

Jair, a trickle of laughter came from that as he cleared his throat.

HOPKINS:“Usually there would be me bullshitting with Gabriel Hartman but not tonight. Not tonight. There’s too much pain sitting on my chest that needs to be eliminated. Eliminating him, making him bleed and sending him to the ER, that will be my set of goals this evening. AQ will be QA…Questions answered. I’ve heard the minimal amount of noise. Those who hold doubt because of my past standings. Alessandro will weep with this “L” I give to him tonight. He will be the first of this new reign. I will send a message to the next opposing challenger that I, Jair Hopkins will be going nowhere as Pride Champion. Ales is a true showing of what doing Meth under the table is like. Ima rid 4CW of that tonight. I’m going to do my Aunt proudly tonight with a victory. First under her management. For all the pain and suffering…”

Jair takes a quick breath, his eyes closed.

HOPKINS:“…You will suffer deeply Ales. The only mask you will be wearing tonight is a Crimson-colored one. Your falsifications will come back to bite you in the ass. These ten inch shoes will pound your chest in and you won’t be able to breathe. This is real. You came at the wrong one, Ales!”

JOHNSON: “Up next we have our XTV Championship match, featuring not two, but six competitors all in the ring at once!”

VASSA: “Things started off as a singles match between the defending champion, Aidan Carlisle, and newcomer Gavin Grimes. That was until Aidan got carried away on social media.”

JOHNSON: “We were supposed to be seeing those two in a singles match tonight with the belt on the line but instead we have four other people thrown into the mix making this thing a barbed wire ropes over the top rope elimination rumble!”

VASSA: “She wasn’t happy with the original booking, claiming that Perry didn’t care about the championship. Well, Perry hit back, raising the stakes and turning this thing into a clusterfuck!”

JOHNSON: “Not only do we have Aidan and Gavin in this thing, but we also have Nurse Kinsley, Kimitsu Zombie, Cyrus Riddle, and Persephone Marquis.”

VASSA: “I’m still scratching my head on that last name but it is what it is and we play the hand we’re dealt.”

JOHNSON: “Quite a few of these names have all had matches with one another in one point in time. These competitors know the opponents going into the ring with them here tonight.”

VASSA: “Here’s where it gets tricky. This isn’t your typical match. Oh no, this is an over the top rope elimination match and the ropes are in fact barbed wire!”

JOHNSON: “Things are going to get a little messy to say the least.”

VASSA: “Especially when you take that comment and factor in both Aidan and Cyrus in this match together! Booyah!”

JOHNSON: “This match is literally up for grabs to any one of these wrestlers here tonight. In a match like this, literally anything can happen.”

VASSA: “It’s going to be all out mayhem inside of that ring and the bell won’t sound until there’s only one left standing in it.”

JOHNSON: “I hope you brought some goggles with you tonight Vinny because I have a feeling we’re going to need them here at ringside once the flesh starts to rip open and the blood begins to pour.”

VASSA: “Oh believe me, I came prepared. I have a life jacket underneath the booth so when the pool of blood gets too deep, I won’t have to worry about drowning here tonight.”

JOHNSON: “That’s a little excessive, don’t you think?”

VASSA: “You either go big or you go home buddy!”

The camera then transitions to a shot inside of the ring. From one corner to the other, the camera focuses on the barbed wire ropes, zooming in to show everyone watching that they are in fact the real deal. The bell then sounds…

DING!!! DING!!!

Which is then followed by a familiar voice.

POWERS: “Ladies and gentlemen, the following Barbed Wire Ropes Over The Top Rope Elimination match will be for the 4CW XTV Championship! There are no pinfalls. There are no submissions. The winner will be declared once five others have been thrown over the top rope and down to the outside floor. Are you ready?!”

The crowd begins to stir as the noise level rises to about a seven.

POWERS: “HOUSTON, I SAID ARE YOU READY!!!”

And with that, the noise level elevates to a ten as the entire arena begins to rumble from the cheers and stomps vibrating the landscape.

POWERS: “Houston… we are ready for takeoff!”

“OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

As “Loyal” by Chris Brown begins, Persephone makes her way onto the stage; a large and almost condescending smile on her face as she heads down the ramp.

POWERS: ”Coming to the ring from Upper Eastside Manhattan, weighing in at one hundred twenty-one pounds and the same height as every other bitch in this place, which is five feet and seven inches tall. She is the former Fate Champion, ‘The Queefster’, ‘Marky Mark’, ‘The Ass Eater Extraordinaire’, ‘Mr. Brightside’ herself – PERSEPHONE MMAARRQQUUIISS!!!”

She had been waiting for Powers to finish announcing her, hands on her hips as she stares at him incredulously while still standing on the ramp. She shakes her head and sighs, continuing down the ramp. Some men in the audience extend money toward her in an attempt to get her attention, while others even go as far as yelling their impressive occupations and positions to her. At some points, she pretends to be interested before continuing on; snatching some man’s waving money and not giving him the time of the day.

Folding the cash and stuffing it into her wrestling top.

“These hoes ain’t loyal!”

She enters the ring and regards the referee with a smile and a friendly greeting, before turning to her corner with an eye roll and an almost disgusted expression. She waits in her corner for the match to start, sitting on the turnbuckle with her legs crossed; back to her patronizing smirk.

Number Girl’s Tattoo Ari blares out and yellow and red lights flash around all over the arena as the guitar riff starts and mingles with the mixed reaction from the fans.

“MIGIKATA!

IREZUMI!

AGEKATA!

ZANZOU!”

Kimitsu Zombie darts out of the entrance way in her bosozoku uniform carrying a bottle of shochu.

POWERS: ”Now, weighing in at one hundred twenty-five pounds and hailing from Kimitsu, Japan! It’s the ‘Little Yokai’, KIMITSU ZZOOMMBBIIEE!!!”

Kimitsu drinks from the shochu bottle as she struts to the ring as she takes in the crowds reaction of cheers and jeers. She grins and climbs a turnbuckle bobbing to the music.

“MIGIKATA!

IREZUMI!

AGEKATA!

ZANZOU!”

She takes a long chug of shochu and screams in satisfaction with her tongue out. She jumps down into the ring to wait while sipping from her shochu bottle.

POWERS: ”Next, about to make his way to the ring. From New Yorkc City, by way of London, England. He is ‘The Archetype’, ‘The sole crusader in the age of grandeur’, ‘the Tao of Tits’, ‘King of Clunge’, ‘The Alpha and Omega’… CYRUS RRIIDDDDLLEE!!!”

A single gunshot and subsequent scream fills the arena. The thumping bass and murderous beat of “Natural Born Killaz” by Dr. Dre and Ice Cube begins to play. From behind the curtain, Cyrus Riddle appears with a black bandana covering his mouth, wearing a pair of black tactical style pants and boots. He stands at the entryway, looking side to side at the crowd with a fierce look in his eyes.

“Journey with me

Into the mind of a maniac

Doomed to be a killer

Since I came out the nutsac

I’m in a murderous mindsate

With a heart full of terror

I see the devil in the mirror

BUCK BUCK, Lights out

Cause when I get my sawed off

Niggaz get hauled off.”

At the sound of two more gunshots accompanying Ice Cube’s voice, Riddle begins to walk with a menacing demeanor toward the ring, the expression in his eyes altering from ferocity to a more sinister gaze as he bypasses fans, stopping to survey a few and provoke them.

“Terror illustrates my era

Now I cant hang around my momma

Cause I scare her

I’m quick to blast motherfucker

[Dr. Dre:] yeah what’s up

It feels like I’m bustin a nut

When I open you up

Cause your body is exposed to the midnight mist

All you weak motherfuckers give my ring a kiss”

He grabs the barbed wire wrapped around the ring as he comes up to it, tugging it forcefully before circling the ringside area. Off to his right, he pulls the bandana off and smirks to some special attendees at ringside before walking the perimeter and throwing insults to the select opponents already inside.

“I dont understand the logic in my dreams

But I understand I like the sound of Sireens

Terrified screams from the streams

Of Strycnine

Dumpin on any motherfucker tryin to trick mine

Cause motherfuckers wanna violate

Now they stiff and cold

And they pupils won’t dialate

IT’S SO MUCH PAIN

MIGRAINE

Headache

I can hear his bones break”

After fist bumping a few select old school fans, mouthing the lyrics to the verse, he slithers inside of the ring slowly, staying in position as he looks around, smiling. Once to his feet, he walks to the top barbed wire rope strand and takes a barb to his flesh, drawing his own blood and wiping it across his face.

The lights dim, with rare flashes of red, as “Your Weakness Gives Me Life” by Le Butcherettes begins to play. Nurse Kinsley drags herself down the entry ramp, stumbling and staring off into space. Occasionally she stops, looking out into the crowd with a head tilt or a focused gaze, but then continues wandering toward the ring with no incident.

POWERS: ”Making her way to the ring, from Shaker Heights, Ohio… NURSE KKIINNSSLLEEYY!!!”

Kinsley slides beneath the bottom rope, crawling toward the nearest turnbuckle. She slumps into the corner, eyes wide and wandering, her expression vacant. She sits like this for several seconds before grabbing the middle ropes and hoisting herself to her feet.

The opening beat to “Throne” begins to blare over the PA system and flashing white lights illuminate the arena, going along with the beat of the song and it causes the fans to cheer. Gavin Grimes is now standing at the top of the entrance way, a black hoodie on with the hoodie up on his head, while also wearing a pair of black jeans, black gloves with the finger tips cut off and a pair of white high-top Jordan’s. Gavin’s has his hands crossed as he looks down at the ground under him, his head nodding up and down to the beat of the music.

“Remember the moment you left me alone and

Broke every promise you ever made

I was an ocean, lost in the open

Nothing could take the pain away

So you can throw me to the wolves

Tomorrow I will come back

Leader of the whole pack

Beat me black and blue

Every wound will shape me

Every scar will build my

THRONE”

POWERS: ”Coming to the ring… Hailing from Las Vegas, Nevada and weighing in at one hundred eighty pounds… GAVIN GGRRIIMMEESS!!!”

As the word throne begins to blare over the PA system, Gavin pulls off the hoodie from his head and begins to walk confidently down the ramp. Once he makes it to the ring, Gavin slides through the ropes. Gavin now takes off his pullover jacket and throws it into the crowd and it now reveals that he was wearing a white tank top under the pullover. Gavin then walks up to the ropes and stands up on the bottom rope while raising up one hand to the crowd as they cheer him on.

Two missile-like pink fireballs launch from above the ring toward the entrance, igniting the stage in a wall of pink flame. Aidan appears at the top of the ramp as the heavy metal chords of Disturbed’s “Immortalized” fill the arena. Through the dimmed lights and flame she surveys the audience, smirking like a predator from ear to ear. She soaks in the reaction from the crowd, holding the XTV Championship high, tilting her head back, and letting the electric guitar get her revved up for the impending match.

“This is war time, this is our time

We won’t be denied, feed the fire that is raging inside

This is go time, this is showtime

We will fight ’til their wills are broken

This is game time, and insane time

Let the madness fly, show the strength that just can’t be defied

Find the power, to devour

Let the beast inside now be woken”

POWERS: ”Coming to the ring from Hell’s Kitchen, New York, weighing in at one hundred forty-five pounds… She is the ‘Alpha Bitch’, and 4CW’s XTV Champion, AIDAN CCAARRLLIISSLLEE!!!”

“In this world only the strong will survive

Hear the roar and you will know you’re alive

Feel the energy build in your soul

‘Cause it’s time”

As she strides down the aisle with the XTV Championship over her shoulder, she points in either direction, acknowledging packs of cheering fans throughout the crowd. Her smirk is firmly fixed on her lips as she ascends the stairs and ducks between the ropes.

“Oh, In the calm before the storm

Another legend will be born

Another battle will be won

We will rise

Oh, So heed the call of confrontation

Today we feed on domination

Secure a legacy that will never die

Be immortalized”

Aidan turns in a slow circle, gesturing for the audience to give her more before she takes off her jacket and tosses it into the timekeeper’s area. She kisses the tips of her fingers and presses them to the faceplate of the XTV Championship before handing it to the referee.

Now that all the competitors have entered the ring, surrounded by barbed wire ropes, the head official Larry Collins stands on the outside of the ring with three more officials to cover one side of the ring each. There is even a medical team on standby if anyone were to get severely cut due to the barbed wire ropes.

JOHNSON: “We have everyone in the ring which is surrounded by barbed wire ropes!”

VASSA: “It’s like a prison camp inside of that ring but instead of escaping, the objective is to be the last person standing in the ring once the dust has settled.”

JOHNSON: “We don’t have any weapons or foreign objects scatted at ringside but the ropes are not only a wall of misery, they can also be used as a weapon!”

VASSA: “Not only the ropes, I don’t expect the padding on the turnbuckles to remain in place for very long. This entire ring can be used as a weapon to eject people one by one out of the ring.”

JOHNSON: “It’s going to be bloody. It’s going to be messy–”

VASSA: “Riddle!”

JOHNSON: “It’s going to be messy, and not in the sick and twisted way your mind thinks.”

VASSA: “Give me a break, Steve! He said it, not me! He doesn’t care if things are messy down there and I support that.”

JOHNSON: “Anyways! All six competitors are in the ring, all with their eyes set on walking out with this bad boy right here.”

The camera cuts to the announcers booth where the XTV Championship sits upon the top of the booth.

VASSA: “It’s a damn good looking title, and backed with a long list of history throughout the years.”

JOHNSON: “The belt has evolved through the years. It’s seen a lot of bloodshed and even tasted a bit as well.”

VASSA: “Oh god no, do not even reference that dumb Twitter lesbian!”

JOHNSON: “I was just saying…”

VASSA: “GREAT SWEETIE!!! WAY TO KILL MY BUZZ!!! JUST GET ON WITH THE DAMN MATCH!!!”

JOHNSON: “Jesus Christ Vinny, what’s gotten into you?”

VASSA: “Absolutely nothing at all. I’m just ready to see the flood gates open and the rivers of blood pour to the floor. That’s why I brought my life jacket!”

JOHNSON: “Better safe than sorry.”

VASSA: “You goddamn right!”

With all six wrestlers in the ring eager to get things underway, the officials talk amongst themselves on the outside. On the inside of the ring, everyone’s eyes shift from one person to the other, keeping a close eye on their surroundings and making sure to keep themselves from being blindsided with an attack. The officials discussion then comes to an end as all four officials take their place on each side of the ring. As head official, Larry Collins then throws his hand into the air, signaling for the bell!

DING!!! DING!!!

The sound of the bell is followed by chaos as all six wrestlers run to one another, exchanging punches with no restraint. Riddle and Marquis pair up, fighting one another. Kimitsu and Aidan trade punches with one another. Kinsley and Gavin are even locked up, attacking each other with knees to the midsection. The pairs have good separation from the others, each taking up a third of the ring as they beat the living hell out of one another.

Aidan throws an elbow at Kimitsu’s head but swings and misses, leaving her side exposed for Kimitsu to jump forward, driving a knee into her ribs. Kimitsu then begins to kick Aidan with left and right stinging kicks, backing her up to the barbed wire ropes. Kicking for Aidan’s head, Kimitsu’s foot is caught just before making contact. Pulling Kimitsu in, Aidan steps out of the way and throws Kimitsu frontwards into the ropes. The barbs catch Kimitsu’s clothing and as Aidan pulls her away from the ropes, the barbs rip her clothes to shreds. Aidan pulls Kimitsu into her arms and lifts her into the air for a suplex. Rolling backwards, Kimitsu slips out of Aidan’s arms and drops down to her feet behind Aidan before Aidan can even begin to fall back and drop her. Dropping down to one knee, Kimitsu throws his arm forward, hitting Aidan in the lower back with a forearm shot. Andan stumbles forward to the ropes but grabs the top as she gets within inches, stopped her body from colliding into them. Kimitsu then grabs two handfuls of Aidan’s hair from behind and pulls her back, throwing her down to the mat on her back.

Not far from them, Kinsley has Gavin in the corner, ramming multiple knees into his stomach. She grabs the top rope for leverage, squeezing it tightly without regard to her own blood pouring from her hands as the barbs pierce into it. Her knees then transition into kicks to the stomach as she slowly knocks Gavin down into a seated position in the corner with his back against it. Lifting her foot up, she places it across his throat and then pulls on the ropes for even more leverage, choking him. With no rules whatsoever, Kinsley is free to do as she pleases as the official just looks on from the outside. She continues to choke Gavin for nearly a minute before pulling her foot away from his throat. As he gasps for air, she releases the ropes, pulling her hands in front of her and looking down at the blood covering them. With both hands, she begins slapping Gavin in the head, smearing blood across his face and hair with each swing. Pulling him to his feet, she then pulls him away from the corner and moves in between him and it, Grabbing ahold of him, she then slams him into the turnbuckle with a reverse STO. Gavin’s arms hang over the top ropes on each side of the corner, pierced by the barbs as well and bleeding down to the apron beneath.

The last pair the camera turns to happens to be that of Persephone Marquis and Cyrus Riddle. Although she’s been a bit quiet as of late, her actions speak louder than words in the ring as she tears into Cyrus with kicks upon kicks. Her last kick finds its way straight into Cyrus’ stomach, forcing him to lunge over from the impact. Locking onto him, she then drops him to the mat with a swinging neckbreaker. Cyrus is slow to get back to his feet, but as he does, Marquis hits him head on with a dropkick to the chest, knocking him backwards into the barbed wire ropes. His arms hooks over the top rope, catching himself from instinct, but piercing himself with the barbs from the ropes. They also manage to find their way lodged into his back, puncturing him and drawing blood. Marquis rushes in, only to run face first into his boot as Cyrus kicks his leg up. He pulls himself away from the ropes, ignoring the lacerations across his skin and hits her in the chops with a European uppercut. He then swings and hits her with a second, and then a third, knocking her backwards across the ring. Rushing towards her, Riddle leaps forward, connecting with a shoulder block and sending her stumbling backwards into the nearby corner!

JOHNSON: “The match has only been going on for a few minutes and Hell has already broken loose!”

VASSA: “What exactly did you expect, Steve? This is a rumble. It’s supposed to be madness!”

JOHNSON: “We already have blood drawn, some even self inflicted.”

VASSA: “Nurse Kinsley is an odd one to say the least and if you ask me, I think her willingness to sacrifice her own body is going to pay huge dividends.”

Kinsley continues to attack Gavin in the corner when out of where, Kimitsu rushes in behind her, slamming both forearms into her back and knocking her forward into Gavin. Kinsley spins around and connects with a back fist to Kimitsu’s jaw. The two ladies then tie up, Kinsley driving Kimitsu backwards and away from the corner. Pulling Kinsley’s head down, Kimitsu uses her momentum to pull Kinsley down to the mat with a headlock. Keeping the headlock in tact, Kimitsu then begins punching Kinsley in the top of the head over and over at a rapid rate. Out of nowhere, Riddle grabs Kimitsu by the hair with both hands, pulling her off of Kinsley and dragging her across the ring. He pulls her to her feet, only to catch an elbow to the stomach and she caught him off guard, knocking him away. With an open hand, Kimitsu slaps Riddle across the chest and then another, and another. She then kicks him in the stomach, forcing him to buckle over. Grabbing his head with both hands, she then slams him face first into the mat with a sit-out facebuster.

As Kimitsu rises to her feet, Persephone is right there behind her, wrapping her around the waist and lifting her off her feet onto to drop her down to the mat with a suplex. Kimitsu ruses to her feet, but not before Persephone stands. Going for the most lethal move in all of wrestling, Persephone jumps into the air and goes for a dropkick, only to miss as Kimitsu leans back, barely avoiding the feet to the face. Persephone hits the mat and before she can begin to get up, Kimitsu jumps on top of her, unloading with a series of lefts and rights to her head. Drawing back for a power punch, Kimitsu gives Persephone a small window of opportunity. Grabbing Kimitsu by the head with both hands, Persephone then pulls her head down while popper her own up and hitting Kimitsu right between the eyes with a headbutt. Rolling Kimitsu over to her side, Persephone stands to her feet to regain her composure. She then pulls Kimitsu up from the mat and grabs a handful of hair, dragging her towards the rope.

“Wanna join me, come and play

But I might shoot you, in your face

Bombs and bullets will, do the trick

What we need here, is a little bit of panic!”

The familiar lyrics grab Persephone’s attention as she looks up the entrance way to the top of the ramp. Out from the back, a very familiar looking person with pink and blue hair walks onto the stage with a baseball bat in hand.

VASSA: “Oh no, it can’t be!”

JOHNSON: “Is that Sati–”

POWERS: “Making a surprise appearance in tonight’s XTV over the top rope rumble… INDICA NNEEVVAAEEHH!!!”

The girl at the top of the ramp look very familiar, you could even say she was a sweetie for 4CW. She rushes down to the ring and as she approaches, Persephone throws Kimitsu forward into the barbed wire ropes. Kimitsu lays over the top rope catching her breath as Persephone keeps her eyes locked on one of wrestling biggest racists of all time.

VASSA: “It’s about to go down, Steve! No more Sierra Mist, Sweetie is going to finally get her hands on the real deal right here tonight!”

JOHNSON: “Is that who that is? I could have sworn that was a Harley Quinn lookalike.”

VASSA: “Well, you wouldn’t be wrong if you did.”

JOHNSON: “I loved that phase.”

Indica jumps up onto the apron and dips through the ropes. Before the can even enter the ring, Persephone rips the baseball bat from her hands. The barbs catch Indica’s attire, holding her in place between the ropes. With a smile on her face, Persephone raises the bat high above her head with both hands before swinging down madly and cracking Sweetie over the back of the head with it. Indica goes limp as Persephone presses her foot against her head and pushes her through the ropes and down to the floor below.

VASSA: “Just like any other performance from Sweetie.”

As the chaos continues across the ring, Kimitsu sneaks in behind Persephone, grabbing the bat and snatching it from her hands. Persephone turns around only to get rammed in the stomach with the top of the bat. Stepping in beside her and holding the bat across Persephone, Kimitsu then drops her to the mat with a Russian leg sweep. Popping back to her feet, she leaves the bat on the mat as she pulls Persephone to her feet. Holding onto the back of her head, she then throws Persephone forward into the ropes. Persephone hits the ropes head on, flipping over the top as the barbs cut into her stomach, before falling over and down to the outside floor.

PERSEPHONE MARQUIS ELIMINATED

JOHNSON: “There’s our first official elimination of the night.”

VASSA: “Blame it on Sweetie. I’m expecting Mary to text Perry three minutes from now asking what the fuck happened.”

JOHNSON: “Now that Persephone has been eliminated by Kimitsu, we’re down to five left.”

VASSA: “Her and Kimitsu we originally set to compete tonight so it’s only fitting that Kimitsu is the one to send her on her way.”

Kimitsu rushes across the ring and jumps right into the action with Cyrus as Gavin and Kinsley both team up on Aidan.

Kinsley slams Aidan’s head onto the turnbuckle over and over in the corner as Gavin hits her from the side with kicks to the ribs. Kinsley goes to slam Aidan’s head down once more, but Aidan locks onto the top barbed wire ropes of the corner, stopping her head just inches from slamming into the turnbuckle again. Aidan then throws back an elbow, slamming it into Kinsley’s mouth and knocking her back a step. Spinning to the opposite direction, she also hits Gavin with one, knocking him back a step. Turning around completely, Aidan then grabs Kinsley and Gavin by the head before slamming them together!

Kinsley falls to the mat but Gavin stumbles backwards into the ropes. Turning Gavin around, Aidan locks onto his head and then presses his forehead down onto the barbed wire, violently dragging it back and forth and cutting his forehead open. Pulling him up from the ropes, she then wraps him up and lifts him off his feet with a T-bone suplex, throwing him upside down into the corner. On her feet, Aidan stomps on Gavin while he’s down in the corner.

Kimitsu and Riddle exchange blows, making their way across the ring and behind Aidan as she continues to assault Gavin. The two stumble onto Kinsley as she pushes herself up from the mat. From behind, Kinsley swings her arm upwards between Riddle’s legs, connecting with a low blow that drops him to his knees. Spinning in place, Kimitsu then connects with a roundhouse kick to the face that sends Riddle falling to the mat. Popping up, Kinsley hits Kimitsu in the mouth with a palm strike, stunning her briefly. Unloading, Kinsley then hits Kimitsu with rapid elbows, backing her up across the ring.

JOHNSON: “These two ladies are made for a match like this.”

VASSA: “I want to see them rip each other apart with the barbed wire!”

JOHNSON: “Settle down, Vinny, it will happen. Just be patient.”

VASSA: “I CAN’T! I WANT TO–”

Racing out from the back, Danny Gordy runs down the ramp, welcomed by everyone in attendance with a roaring “boo”.

The fans closest to the aisle begin throwing their drinks, hitting Gordy with them and covering him in whatever liquid happens to be in their cups. he takes a step forward, slipping on the wet ramp and before you know it, he legs shoot out from under him and he falls straight back, crashing against the hard ramp.

VASSA: “He slipped and fell, just like his attempts at ‘checking’ anyone other than himself!”

JOHNSON: “What’s he doing out here. I thought his appearance earlier was just a one-off.”

VASSA: “You can’t tell this man what to do! He’s the biggest, baddest, toothless son of a bitch of all time!”

Gordy slides into the ring, unnoticed behind Kinsley and Kimitsu trading blows and beating the hell out of one another. He pops up to his feet and dives right on in, forcing himself between the two ladies. It was at that moment the thoughts swarmed his little mind, the voices spoke to him, warning him of what happens when keeping it real goes wrong. Both Kimitsu and Kinsley turn to Gordy at the same time and lunge forward with simultaneous punches, crushing both sides of Gordy’s jaw and knocking him backwards into the nearby corner. The two ladies then put their differences aside for just a moment to double team Gordy. They beat the brakes off this washed up, out of shape, poor excuse for a human being. Much like the time his brakes didn’t work before crashing head on into a snow bank on the run from the law, but that’s a story for another time.

The two work in unison, taking turns as they hit him with everything they have. Kimitsu then picks up the baseball bat still lying on the mat and slams it into his stomach, forcing him to buckle over right into a lifting knee to the face from Kinsley. Turning Gordy around, Kinsley presses Gordy’s face to the top barbed wire rope, dragging him from one end to the other and slicing his face along the way. Meanwhile, Kimitsu hits him in the back with the bat, making sure he keeps moving forward instead of cowering in fear like we all know he’s known for. Throwing him into the adjacent ropes, Kinsley then backs up and stands side by side with Kimitsu. The two give each other a nod before locking arms and rushing forward, hitting Gordy head on with a double clothesline and flipping him up and over the top rope.

VASSA: “CHECKED!!!”

JOHNSON: “SMACKED!!!”

VASSA: “What’s the forcot call for now?!”

The two look to the outside, laughing at the sight of Gordy flopping around the floor like a fish out of water. Kinsley glances over at Kimitsu, more so the bat she’s holding in her other hand. Catching Kimitsu off guard, Kinsley spins around and plants a foot into her lower back, knocking her forward into the ropes. She then snatches the bat from her hand, but Kimitsu doesn’t let go! The two fight for the bat, tug of war if you will. Kinsley then pulls Kimitsu into a swift kick to her stomach, but Kimitsu doesn’t release the bat. Instead, Kimitsu pulls back on it even harder but as she does, Kinsley gives her another kick, while also releasing the bat. Kimitsu falls backwards into the ropes. Rushing in, Kinsley kicks her in the stomach again, forcing her to bend over before pulling her away from the ropes and knocking the bat from her hand. Hooking an arm around Kimitsu’s head, Kinsley then lifts her into the air as if going for a suplex but instead of falling backwards, she drops Kimitsu forward over the top barbed wire rope. Kimitsu moans loudly over the sounds of the crowd as the barbs pierce her skin.

Kinsley then begins hitting her over the back with lefts and rights, slowly knocking her off of the top rope and down to the apron. Reaching over the top rope, Kinsley pulls Kimitsu up to her feet before walking her over to the corner and slamming her head down onto the top turnbuckle. She then locks onto her head with both hands before pulling her head over the top rope and dropping down to her knees. She pulls Kimitsu down, throat first onto the barbed wire rope before releasing. Kimitsu’s head slingshots off the top rope, lifting her off her feet as she flies backwards and crashes down to the outside floor.

KIMITSU ZOMBIE ELIMINATED

JOHNSON: “There goes the second elimination for the night.”

VASSA: “NOOOOO!!! Not Kimitsu!”

JOHNSON: “Yes Vinny, it was indeed her and now we’re down to four.”

VASSA: “But her and Harlow worked so well together throwing that piece of unwanted trash out of the ring.”

JOHNSON: “Well, that’s the name of the game. There are no teams, it’s every person for themselves.”

With Riddle and Aidan getting messy across the ring, Gavin spots an opportunity with Kinsley slowly pushing herself up to her feet. He rushes in, but not before she can stand tall. Grabbing her by the shoulder, he spins her around but Kinsley was quick to react, using her momentum to land an elbow to t he side of Gavin’s head. Gavin completely spins and faces the opposite direction. Flipping backwards, Gavin connects with a Pele kick to Kinsley head, knocking her backwards to the ropes. She hits the ropes and flips over the top. Grabbing the top rope, Kinsley uses it to guide her landing onto the apron and quickly begins to pull herself up. Popping back to his feet, Gavin takes a few steps back before rushing in and just when Kinsley stands, he jumps into the air and connects with an Enziguri, knocking Kinsley off the apron and down to the floor.

NURSE KINSLEY ELIMINATED

VASSA: “Oh shit, down goes Harlow!”

JOHNSON: “Just when you think you have a moment to breath after eliminating someone, you get eliminated yourself in the blink of an eye out of nowhere!”

VASSA: “That was cold blooded. Gavin didn’t even give her a single second to celebrate her elimination. Nope! He just sent her right out of the ring with Kimitsu.”

Across the ring, Aidan pulls Riddle in and to the ground with a headlock, transitioning into an STF. He reaches out for the nearby ropes, forgetting about the barbed wire until it pierces his hand. He immediately pulls his hand back as Aidan continues cranking down on the pressure. From behind, Gavin rushes in and hits Aidan in the back of the head with a running dropkick. She releases Riddle and rolls over to her back. Beside her, Riddle remains down as well. Gavin pulls Aidan to her feet, holding her in place as he delivers back to back punches to her head. Locking onto it with both hands, he then wipes her out with a sit-out jawbreaker, knocking her off her feet and through the air before crashing to the canvas.

By the time Gavin climbs back to his feet, Riddle has as well. Before Gavin even sees him, Riddle sweeps in and connects with double axe-handle. He then traps Gavin’s arms, holding him in place as he begins ramming his head forward and hitting him with repeated headbutts. After connecting with four in a row, Riddle then bends Gavin over and locks his arms with a double underhook. Lifting Gavin off his feet, Riddle then slams him to the mat with a suplex.

“Billy Crystal” by Yelawolf hits the speakers as the crowd erupts with laughter.

VASSA: “YYYYEEEESSSS!!!”

JOHNSON: “Oh no, not him.”

VASSA: “Who let the dogs out!”

Walking out from the back, Freedumb power struts out onto the stage with a glass pipe in one hand and a leash in the other. At the end of the leash, a sad, pathetic dog follows along, limping with each step taken.

POWERS: ”Ladies and gentlemen, coming to the ring from Bay Point, California, weighing in at two hundred and forty pounds and standing five feet, eight inches tall! He is accompanied to the ring by–wait a second–accompanied to the ring by his neighbors dog! He is the ‘Master(de)bater’ and seventy-two hour tweeting sensation… FFRREEEEDDUUMMBB!!!”

Freedumb smirks as he passes the fans on his way down the ramp, literally dragging the dog behind him who is unwilling to follow. The fans throw trash at him, yelling for animal rights, some even holding signs.

YOU DESERVE
THE LEASH

#BAITED

Once reaching ringside, Freedumb pulls the dog in by the leash before picking it up and lifting it in the air. Puckering his lips, Freedumb leans in to give it a kiss but before he can, the dog bites him on the nose, forcing Freedumb to release him. Falling backwards to the ring and crashing against it, he reaches for the leash but misses as the dog races up the ramp and disappears into the back. Sadness then overcomes his facial expression before he rolls underneath the bottom rope and enters the ring alone.

JOHNSON: “GET HIM OUT OF THERE CYRUS!!!”

Unamused, Cyrus races over to Freedumb, hitting him in the face with a running knee before he can even stand. Pulling Freedumb to his feet by the arm, Cyrus then pulls him into a short-arm clothesline, knocking him flat on his back. However, Cyrus doesn’t let go of his arm. Instead, he pulls Freedumb up to his feet again before wiping him out with another short-arm clothesline. Still holding onto Freedumb’s arm, Riddle then pulls him up once more before whipping him to the ropes across the ring. Not far from Freedumb, Gavin is on his feet and quickly takes notice. Charging straight for 4CW’s favorite jobber, Gavin leaps forward, annihilating Freedumb with a flying clothesline! On all fours, Freedumb crawls like a dog away from both Gavin and Cyrus. Coming to an abrupt stop, he stares down at a pair of feet before slowly looking up only to see Aidan. Lifting her leg into the air, she then slams it down, driving her foot into his face.

VASSA: “Come on guys, give the man a break!”

JOHNSON: “Why should they?! He shouldn’t even be out here right now!”

VASSA: “You can’t tell him what to do!”

Fredumb quickly pushes himself up to his feet before turning away from Aidan and running away scared. He keeps his head turned, keeping his eyes locked on Aidan and he runs away. Across the ring, Gavin stands by the ropes, preparing himself as Freedumb approaches closer and closer. Just as Freedumb gets in range, Gavin bends over and as Freedumb runs into him, he lifts Freedumb off his feet and flips him over his head, over the top rope, and down to the floor below, face first into a steaming present that could have only been left by the runaway dog he came down to the ring with.

JOHNSON: “Oh my god!”

VASSA: “Freedumb just ate dog shit!”

As Gavin stands up, Aidan is just a few feet in front of him, charging in with a clothesline. Just like before, Gavin ducks down and lifts Aidan over his head, throwing her over the top rope. He slaps his hands together in excitement after tossing Aidan over the top rope. Pointing to Cyrus, he then nods as they’re the only two left in the ring.

JOHNSON: “She isn’t out yet!”

VASSA: “Look behind you Gavin!”

JOHNSON: “NNOOOO!!!”

What Gavin didn’t know is that Aidan managed uses the ropes to land feet down to the apron. With Gavin focused entirely on Cyrus, she stood on the apron behind him. Reaching over the ropes, she grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him in backwards into the barbed wire ropes. She then wrapped both arms around Gavin, not letting him slip away as she jerked him back and forth along the ropes, cutting his back against the barbs. Turning him around, she then hit him with three stiff rights to the face, stunning him just long enough to pull him in closer and lock an arm around his head. Grabbing his pants, she then lifted him straight into the air before falling back and turning her body. Gavin’s body cleared the ropes and as Aidan landed against the apron, she dropped him to the floor with a suplex!

GAVIN GRIMES ELIMINATED

JOHNSON: “There goes the fourth elimination for the night!”

VASSA: “Gavin thought that fourth spot happened to belong to Aidan but boy was he in for a surprise!”

As Aidan slowly pulls herself up from the apron, Cyrus races in her direction, seeing an opportunity to cash in for the last elimination. He lunges over the ropes, but Aidan has something else in mind. She pulls on the middle rope and sacrifices her body, pulling herself through the middle and top ropes and driving a shoulder into his stomach. The ropes aren’t so forgiving as they tear her skin while going both in and back out. Cyrus back steps, lunged over and holding his arms over his stomach, gasping for air. Pulling herself up and jumping to the top rope, Aidan then springboards off and dives forward, plowing into Cyrus with diving shoulder block. Riddle rolls over to his back as Aidan climbs to her feet. Stepping over his body, she grabs both of his arms and lifts his upper body up from the mat. She then places her foot on the back of the head, hesitating for a short moment while holding him up.

JOHNSON: “This isn’t looking too good for Cyrus. Aidan has him in position for a curb stomp that could end his night.”

VASSA: “It’s about to get messy and not the kind that Riddle hopes for!”

JOHNSON: “Here we go–”

“When the sun rises

I wake up and chase my dreams

I won’t regret when the sun sets

Cause I live my life like I’m a beast

I’m a mothafucking beast”

“Ayo back to make you run around the game like its a fire

I spit acid bitch like I got cyanide in my saliva

Watch me wet and heat shit up like I’m a washer and a dryer

While I beat you in your head until you tire”

“I’m a motherfucking beast”

VASSA: “HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!”

As the beginning notes of “Beast” begins to play. With the beats kicking in, “The Unable One”, an irish midget covered in tattoos, slowly walks out with a huge smirk on his face and a shillelagh in hand as the fans welcome him with a chorus of laughter throughout the arena.

POWERS: ”Coming to the ring, standing at an impressive four feet, eleven inches tall! He is the ‘Heart and Mastermind’, he is the ‘Unable One’… CCEEEEJJAAYY!!!”

The tiny Irishman runs straight for the ring with short steps. He waves the shillelagh above his head as Aidan looks up the ramp, shaking her head at the sight. She then finishes the job at hand, kicking Cyrus face down into the mat with a curb stomp before stepping away from his lifeless body. CeeJay attempts to slide into the ring but can’t quite jump high enough. Instead, he goes to the steps, even there struggling to climb his way to the top but eventually he does. Dipping through the ropes, he then points the shillelagh at Aidan before charging at her.

“I’m a motherfucking beast!”

JOHNSON: “CJ O’Donnell has come back to 4CW folks!”

VASSA: “He even grew a little. I could have sworn he was a couple inches shorter the last time I saw him.”

Kicking her foot up as he gets within range, Aidan levels him with a not so big boot to the face! She then snatches the shillelagh from his hand and watches as he pushes himself up with his short little arms. CeeJay then comes in for some more, swinging wildly with lefts and rights. With her free hand, Aidan presses it against his forehead, keeping him in place as he continues to swing, not even coming close to making contact with her legs. This goes on for nearly a minute until CeeJay eventually grows tired from swinging and coming up with a miss each and every time. Aidan then swings the shillelagh, cracking him over the side of the face with it, shattering the shillelagh while doing so. CeeJay spins in place two times before falling face first into the mat. It was lights out for the Unable One.

VASSA: “Jesus Fucking Christ, Aidan! That’s no way to treat a little person, you goddamn bully!”

JOHNSON: “That’s exactly how to treat someone interfering in a match they have no business being in.”

VASSA: “You watch your mouth, Steve!”

Pulling CeeJay up from the mat by the back of his pants, she carries him over to the ropes. Lifting him into the air, she throws him up and over the top with ease, sending the wee man to his doom as she crashes to the floor.

VASSA: “Maybe you should have blocked her before coming out CJ!”

JOHNSON: “Maybe he should have brought a padlock out instead since he’s more familiar with hiding behind one of those.”

VASSA: “I see you, Steve.”

Across the ring, Cyrus is still down, but finally starting to come to his senses as he pushes himself up to all fours. She hits him over the back with a double axe-handle, knocking him back flat to the mat. She kicks him in the ribs a couple of times before pulling him up to his feet. Cyrus takes a blind swing for her head, coming up short as she ducks underneath and steps behind him. As he turns around, she shuffles in, connecting with a side kick and knocking him to the ropes. Riddle hits the barbed wire ropes, cutting himself up before bouncing off. Moving in towards him, Aidan does a handspring, popping herself up and connecting with a back elbow.

Cyrus stumbles back, coming to a stop as he plants his feet but still in a daze. Rushing in, Aidan leaps into the air, wrapping both legs around his head and lifting him off his feet with a head scissors, throwing him through the air and into the corner upside down. Cyrus falls straight down onto his head as his legs fold over. Pushing herself up, Aidan doesn’t waste a single second, she rushes in and grabs ahold of his foot, pulling him out of the corner as his body rolls stomach to the mat. She lifts his foot high into the air, elevating his entire leg before slamming it down and driving his knee into the canvas.

She rolls Riddle over to his back by one leg, leaving his other free which results in him kicking her directly in the face. She releases his foot, taking a step back before shaking it off. Rising to his feet, Cyrus looks ahead and Aidan rushes in but quick on his feet, he lifts her up into the air before planting her into the mat with a spinebuster. Moving to position himself beside her, he then hits her shoulder with repeated knee drops, one after the other until finally coming to a stop after five. Pulling her up from the mat, Cyrus then lifts her up onto his shoulders in a fireman’s carry.

With Aidan down on the mat, Riddle stands to his feet and walks over to the nearby corner. He removes the padding from it, exposing the metal beneath. He walks back over to Aidan, pulling her up from the mat. Locking onto her wrist, he goes to throw her into the corner. Aidan doesn’t agree as she reverses and throws him towards the corner. Still locked onto her arm, Cyrus plants his foot, stopping his momentum before pulling Aidan in and countering with a short-arm clothesline! Still holding onto her arm, he then pulls her up from the mat and this time with no restraint, he throws her to the corner. Aidan’s back slams against the metal as she releases a howling sigh.

JOHNSON: “That doesn’t look comfortable, not one bit.”

VASSA: “Of course it isn’t comfortable! It’s bare metal!”

JOHNSON: “You don’t have to tell me! I know what it is. Aidan knows what it is. It’s rather uncomfortable if you ask me!”

Riddle charges straight for Aidan. He lunges forward, but Aidan side steps him, tripping him up and forcing him to fall face down onto the metal of the turnbuckle. Riddle’s forehead splits wide open as blood begins to pour all over his face.

VASSA: “That’s how I imagine he looked after that messy incident!”

Grabbing Riddle’s head from behind with both hands, Aidan then slams his face down onto the metal once again! Pulling him away from the corner, she then pushes him against the barbed wire ropes, holding him in place as she begins ramming into his midsection with knees. The barbs smear blood across his back from the lacerations as Aidan drags him back and forth across it. With a mouthful of blood as well, Cyrus then spits it out into Aidan’s face, getting it in her eyes and blinding her momentarily. Grabbing ahold of her head, he pulls it in as he slams his forward, hitting her across the bridge of the nose with a headbutt.

Pulling himself away from the barbed wire ropes, Cyrus hits Aidan with back to back to back European Uppercuts. Squatting down, he then lifts her up onto his shoulders as he stands tall once more. Holding her on his shoulders in a fireman’s carry, he motions one hand, extending the thumb across his throat.

JOHNSON: “I think I know what this means! It’s time to purge!”

VASSA: “Great! Let me get my mask and chainsaw for the festivities”

Before Cyrus can initiate The Purge, Aidan slips from his grasp and falls behind him. Grabbing his shoulder while still in the air, Aidan pulls Cyrus backward, curling her legs and bringing her knees up against his back. She hits the mat, and Cyrus’ back slams against her knees. She releases her grip and the force of the backstabber sends Cyrus flying forward as he bounces off her knees and is launched into the air. He falls frontwards into the barbed wire ropes, throwing his arms over the top to keep himself elevated.

Aidan slowly climbs to her feet as she wipes the blood from her eyes. Attacking Cyrus from behind, she lays into his with rapid lefts and rights. Aidan then pulls Cyrus upright and applies a headlock from behind.

VASSA: “Ram him into the barbed wire!”

JOHNSON: “I’m sure she has something better in mind like the Bitch Breaker!”

VASSA: “But Cyrus isn’t a bitch, is he?!”

Before Aidan can proceed with the inverted headlock backbreaker, Riddle reaches up and over his head with both hands, grabbing onto Aidan. He then throws his upper body forward and down, lifting Aidan off her feet and pulling her over his head. Her body clears the ropes but she manages to turn around completely to land on her feet as she releases the headlock. As Cyrus stands straight up, Aidan throws a right over the ropes and at his head. To her surprise, Cyrus catches her arm in midair and pulls it down onto the top barbed wire rope. Sliding it back and forth across the barbed wire, he does a nasty number on her arm which draws quite a bit of blood as well. After he releases her arm, Aidan pulls it in, holding it close to her body as she checks the damages. Stepping up onto the middle turnbuckle, Cyrus then jumps off and turns around completely to face Aidan while in midair. Extending his arm outward and over the top rope, he connects to the back of Aidan’s head with a flying lariat!

JOHNSON: “Daydreamer!”

VASSA: “I told you he won’t no bitch!”

Aidan grabs the ropes, keeping herself up as she drops to one knee. Although she’s still on the apron, she’s completely out of it after the direct hit to the back of the head. Walking to the ropes, Riddle grabs her by the sides of her head, pulling her to an upright standing position. She places her hands over his, but doesn’t pulls them away, she just keeps them in place as if looking for comfort. Leaning in, Cyrus then kisses her softly across her forehead, leaving a bloody print of his lips as he pulls them away. He then gives her a gentle push and releases her head, watching as Aidan falls backwards and down from the apron, slamming to the outside floor.

AIDAN CARLISLE ELIMINATED

VASSA: “Down goes the champ, down goes the champ!”

JOHNSON: “Aidan has been eliminated, leaving only Cyrus in the ring after all the carnage.”

DING!!! DING!!! DING!!!

Cyrus falls backwards to the mat, exhausted and covered in blood. Not a single body is in sight, leaving him as the only one left in the ring.

“Natural Born Killaz” hits the speakers as the arena roars as loud as they can. The official grabs the XTV Championship from a member of the ringside crew before rolling into the ring. He kneels beside Riddle, handing him the championship and then hoisting his arm into the air.

JOHNSON: “We have a new XTV Champion ladies and gents.”

VASSA: “Not only that, but we have a bloody mess to clean up here in the ring and the perfect man is left to do it.”

JOHNSON: “We need a few moments to get the ropes prepped for the next match folks. Sit tight, we’ll be right back.”

VASSA: “RIDDLE!”

Answering some questions backstage, RetroGrade “Spessal” Host, Jason Cashe nods to the cameras. Smiling big up until he turns away from them, leaving the interview for some Japanese Magazine. The smile disappears, replaced with a disgruntled frown. He was tired. Tired of watching people fight tonight, tired of hearing Space City, Houston, TX! His city, erupt to someone else kicking ass. He was just itching for a fight and was running out of fake smiles like he was some fucking Walmart Greeter.

MORA:“Caaaashe! Girls, girls, say hello to Mr. Jason Cashe!”

FEMALES:“Hellloooo Caaashe!! Hehe!”

Stopping his forward progression down the hallway, Cashe wasn’t wanting to conversate with anyone right now. He had other things on his mind. One could say he was stressed out but opportunity was about to arise.

CASHE:“Jim Mora Jr!”

MORA:“Its Jay. Jay Mora.. I don’t coach football Cashe, remember? We talked about this one time already.”

A hiccup and Jay Mora wobbles a little in place. Lucky for him he came with an entourage. 5 women, beautiful, curvy in the best of places and all were in Bikinis. Cashe’s eyes go from bored to a basset hound finding a duck during a dunk hunt. He sniffed the air as he approach, shaking hands with Jay Mora. Better know to Octane as “The Marksman”.

Leaning forward, Jay Mora whispers at Cashe. Telling him something that wouldn’t come to a shock if you were within distance of his aroma he was putting off.

MORA:“I’m just a little drunk right now..”

His sentence followed up with a loud hiccup. He chuckled and chugged back another swig of the Jack Daniels bottle.

CASHE:“Really? I cant tell.. Say though, umm these girls? Y’all going to a party after the show or what?”

MORA:“The party comes to me! Tell you what! Since you’ve been a superb Host.. pick a girl.”

CASHE:“What?”

MORA:“Yup! Pick one. Tonight you should be rewarded. You can have first pick! Any of you girls object?”

All of them shaking their heads no. One or two of them winking at Cashe as they signal none of them would mind. It was truly a blessing on this day. Praise him.. Geezus.

CASHE:“This feels wrong..”

MORA:“They will make everything feel better! Quality or it doesn’t come near me! You’ve come out to Chicago so you know how I live life! Pick one. Just one and she is all yours until tomorrow. May I suggest Mandy?”

Not sure what Cashe meant but Mora just tilted back the bottle again and shrugged his shoulders. Dropping to his knees, Cashe almost scared a few of the girls. He knee walks over to the first girl in line and… Smells her belly button. To the second he does the same. It was during and after the second when Jay Mora questioned his method.

MORA:“What in the fuck are you doing?!”

CASHE:“Belly button test. If it smells right there, Ain’t no WAY I’ma go anywhere down there.”

MORA:“Ohhhkay…”

CASHE:“It was either that or I smell their armpits. We’re in a public hallway, it’d be weird to smell armpits here.”

Moving onto the third one. Amanda. The one who said she could make everything better. A claim they all probably would make but Amanda seemed like she told some truths. Cashe sniffs. His nose touching the rim of her navel. Smiling at her, he moves onto the last two and wasn’t upset with any of them. A few were going ripe, the should seek a doctor for a checkup soon. Wasn’t his place to say so, so he just pushed back to his feet.

CASHE:“I’ve come to a decision…”

MORA:“Well?”

Letting another brief silence fall over the hallway area. Cashe steps forward and taps Courtney on the nose.

She side hits Mora to the outside of his arm. He flinches and fakes a pain that wasn’t really there. It was just how you played with girls.

COURTNEY:“It’s Courtney you lush! Hi, I’m Courtney..”

Turning her attention to Cashe, she steps into his open embrace. Sliding under his arm and standing to his side.

MORA:“Well alright! You two have a beautiful night! Hit you up later Cashe, see ya Courts!”

With that Jay Mora and the rest of his Lady Entourage leave the scene. Cashe wasn’t sure he’d fuck this chick but having the option? Not a bad gift for being Host. Maybe the night wasn’t completely lost.

COURTNEY:“So? What do you have in mind for the evening?”

CASHE:“Let’s go watch History being made! Come on..”

Taking her by the hand, he walks away pulling her with him. His prize for the night but maybe not the last.

The scene switches from Jason Cashe holding hands with some random chick, probably blind, since she’s willing to touch him, to one of the medical areas backstage where the fallout of the XTV match is in full swing. Annoyed, but momentarily cooperative, Aidan Carlisle is sitting on one of the gurneys while the staff go about the arduous task of cleaning up and bandaging the myriad of cuts, scrapes, and other injuries caused by the barbed wire and opponents alike. Unsurprisingly, her husband, Liam O’Shea, is there in support. Also unsurprisingly, 4CW interviewer Gabriel Hartman has slunk in looking for a scoop.

HARTMAN:“Misses Carli… O’She… Aidan! Can I get a few words?”

The oversized Irishman folds his arms across his chest as he steps between Hartman and his prey. Hartman, of course, seems both oblivious and undeterred. He attempts to sidestep the much bigger man, unsuccessfully.

O’SHEA:“Really, Hartman? You couldn’t wait ten whole minutes?”

HARTMAN:“Lots of matches tonight. Lots of potential new champions, and lots of interviews. Gotta get ‘em while they’re hot!”

While she has one hand free for a few scant seconds, Aidan reaches out and gently moves Liam aside.

CARLISLE:“It’s okay, let him ask his questions. I’m not going anywhere for a few minutes anyway. What do you want, Hartman?”

HARTMAN:“Well, to start, how do you feel after your match?”

CARLISLE:“How do you think I feel, Hartman? That undeserving fuckwit Cyrus just walked out with the championship I worked so hard to earn when they didn’t deserve to have the shot to begin with.”

Gabriel seems to search for an answer to the rhetorical question but can’t find one.

HARTMAN:“Do you regret goading Perry Wallace now? If you hadn’t said anything, you only would have been facing Gavin Grimes, and things might have turned out differently.”

For a moment, everyone stops. The medics, Liam, and Hartman alike. The whole room seems to hold it’s breath, expecting an explosion of fury. Instead, Aidan just shakes her head, and smiles.

CARLISLE:“Not for a single second. I would rather have had this match, a real fucking challenge worthy of the XTV title, and lost, than have been handed an easy win. I don’t settle, Gabe, and if that means I didn’t walk away with a win tonight, then so be it. The XTV Championship will be around my waist again someday. For now, there’s more waiting in the wings.”

HARTMAN:“You’ve said that winning the XTV Championship was just one part of your goals for 2018. Care to share what else you’ve got on the horizon?”

Aidan shook her head, making a soft, “tsk, tsk,” sound.

CARLISLE:“I guess you’ll just have to tune in to find out, won’t you?”

With a little upward nod of her head, Aidan gives her indication to Liam that she’s done with the interview. The big man begins ushering Hartman away, not allowing him to sneak in even one last inquiry.

O’SHEA:“That’s it for today, Gabe. Go find someone else to bother. I’m sure Harlow or Persephone are dying to feel relevant right now.”

As Hartman is sent packing, Aidan does her best to relax and let the medics work. It’s obvious that she’s feeling antsy however. Perhaps she wants a cup of coffee.

UNDERCARDSEVEN PANES OF GLASS MATCHDAKOTA SMITHVS.VIDUUS MORTA

POWERS: “Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for Seven Panes of Glass!”

“I am beyond your experience. I am beyond good and evil, legions of the night, nightbreed, repeat not the errors of the Night Stalker and show no mercy.” – Richard Ramirez

The famous quote of the 80s serial killer echoes throughout the arena as the lights go black. The eerie, Michael Myers esque beat of “Welcome to Hell” starts to blare over the over the speaker system.The crowd erupts in a mix of cheers and boos as they know who is now about to make his way from out of the back.

“Blood underneath my nails, I think I’m losing it

Dead hooker to my left, an upside down crucifix

Get my fix from fucking dead hoes and these opiates

Killin’ ’em all, I’ll never fall,I get a rush from stalking bad bitches

Collecting teeth and fingernails to add to my shrine

These voices in my head are telling me you have to die”

Dakota Smith walks out onto the stage in a spotlight, his face covered by a mask made of flesh and stitches, one that resembles Viduus Morta – dreads and all. Dakota looks around the arena, in almost maniacal fashion – his limbs twitching and his head having a slight tick to it. He stands there, almost motionless if not for the slight twitching, staring dead eyed at the ring. Dakota raises his arm up and points to it, as he cocks his head almost puppet like to the side.

“I hear voices all around me, Telling me to end your suffering

I see red and feel death coming, I will purge the world with no following

Bloodshed, feeling like an animal, caged, I’m going for your throat

Bloodshed, dripping from my face, I’m hollow, make your skin into a coat”

POWERS: ”Making his way down to the ring from The Depths of Hell, he weighs in at two hundred and forty pounds and stands six feet, two inches tall. He is, DAKOTA SSMMIITTHH!!!”

Finally he begins to make his way down to the ring, hiding all emotion behind the mask. He doesn’t even glance at the audeince, instead keeping his eyes dead set on the ring. His steps having an almost unnerving limp to the them. He brought his head straight up as he got to the ring, stopping right before it and slamming his fists down in a primal matter on the apron. A bloodthirsty roar can be heard escaping from deep inside the man , as he reaches one hand up and tears the mask off of his face. Sinking his teeth inside of it he tears it in two, spitting its remains on the ground before rolling in under the bottom rope.

“ There’s no destroying me, I’ll re-write your fate”

Planting his fists into the mat, Dakota pushes himself up to his feet. He sniffs the air like an animal would when has the scent of a wounded animal, a depraved grin forming on his lips as he stalks around the ring. You could almost see the blood orgy forming in his mind as he slinks back into his corner and slides down the ring post – taking a seat, waiting for the match to begin.

JOHNSON: “We’ve seen one other of these types of matches, Vinny. Three years ago at Ante Up where Dakota Smith defeated Lord Raab in this vile, this insane, this… I can’t even think of a proper adjective match to describe it match.”

VASSA: “I hear you, it seems like this match has been connected to Dakota Smith as winning that match brought him into the top levels of 4CW and eventually into the Hall of Fame itself. So, here we are again. Dakota Smith trying to put his opponent through panes of glass.”

JOHNSON: “The best of seven. The first man to put his opponent through four panes of glass will be declared the victor or from what I remember the last time will be declared the survivor.”

POWERS: ”And his opponent, from Parts Unknown… he weighs in at one hundred and ninety five pounds and stands six feet, two inches tall. He is, VIDUUS MMOORRTTAA!!!”

As “Cry Little Sister” begins its slow pace the lights in the arena drop. Fire outlines the stage and ramp entrance way to the ring. Viduus appears at the top of the stage through a cloud of smoke, looking left and a glance to the right. He waits for the music to pick up pace before continuing his walk to the ring. He slithers inside under the bottom rope and crawls to a nearby corner as he eyes Dakota Smith across the ring.

JOHNSON: “Viduus Morta a thorn in the side of Dakota Smith, these two have played a most dangerous game as of late and it’s about to only get worse from here.”

VASSA: “I’m thinking between these two, someone’s going to the hospital tonight at the very least.”

JOHNSON: “We’d be lucky if a career wasn’t ended here tonight, to be perfectly honest.”

DING!!! DING!!!

Charging across the ring and wasting no time, Dakota Smith and Viduus begin to fire away with a flurry of right hands. With fists flying the larger Smith is able to gain a little leverage on the slender Viddus and backs him up against the ring ropes. Smith connects with a spinning clothesline after stunning Viddus with a right hand and Viduus Morta topples over the top ropes to the floor below! Smith doesn’t let his opponent catch a breather as he slides under the bottom ropes and to the floor continuing the attack on Viduus on the outside. Smith hits a couple of right hands and then slams the head of Morta against the ring apron causing his face to bounce upwards. Smith backs up and charges in at Morta…

SMMMMMMMACK!!!

…hitting the corner post with his forearm as Morta is able to slither out of the way at the last moment. Smith clutches his forearm in some pain and backs right into Morta who wraps the Hall of Famer by the waist and flings him backwards…

CRRRRRRASSSSSH!!!

…spilling Dakota Smith into the guardrailing at ringside with a German suplex! Smith is folded in half as Morta slides back to his feet.

JOHNSON: “Taking the fight to the outside, Viduus Morta showing the Hall of Famer that he’s come here to Houston to put a serious dent into the career and legacy of Dakota Smith.”

VASSA: “And a serious dent into his head, too!”

JOHNSON: “Morta just slithering around like a snake, so twisted, such a deranged individual.”

Morta reaches to pull Smith back up to his feet, but Smith counters with an uppercut catching Morta off-guard. Smith unloads another big right hand rocking Viduus in the jaw, he scoops up Morta in a quick motion and drops him nuts first onto the guardrailing! Smith gives Morta a moment or two to let that pain sink in before he charges in an unloads a clothesline on Morta causing the Holy Man to fall into the front row of the crowd.

VASSA: “Well, at least we can rest tonight knowing that there will probably never be any little Viduus’ running around these parts.”

JOHNSON: “Could you imagine that man doing anything but destroying?”

Smith uses this time to set up one of the panes of glass which are littered around the ringside area, he slides one back into the ring along with one of the chairs from under the ring. Morta is able to pull himself back up, but hangs over the guardrailing in pain. Smith clubs down with a couple of right hands across his back before Dakota pulls him back into the ring area by dumping him onto his back. Smith then rolls Viduus back into the ring as he eyes the pane of glass already in there. Dakota goes to set up the pane of glass, but Viduus recovers quickly and hammers him on the spine with a double axe handle! He follows that up with another one which drops Smith down to his knees, Viduus yanks him up by the head and drops Smith across his knees with a nasty looking back breaker!

JOHNSON: “Smith keeping this somewhat sane here, showing some of that wrestling ability we know that he has deep down inside.”

VASSA: “Which has come out further as he’s becoming Betty Crocker.”

JOHNSON: “I wouldn’t want him to hear that one, Vinny.”

Viduus now eyes the pane of glass in the ring and uses this open moment to set it up propped up against the corner turnbuckle. Slowly Morta drags his finger across his throat which gets the Houston crowd riled up as they all know he’s referring to the glass pane. The Hall of Famer pulls himself back up to his feet holding his back in some discomfort, which gives Viduus another opening to wrap his arms around the waist of his opponent, Morta goes to rip off the German suplex as he did earlier, but this time Dakota is able to stop that with a back elbow that hits Morta square in the jaw! This allows Dakota to show some technical skill as he reverses the waist lock into one himself. Dakota now looks to German suplex Viduus through the pane of glass in the corner, but Morta is able to block the lift. Dakota counters by throwing a couple of stiff forearm shots right into the upper back of Morta. Viduus stumbles forward and spins around just in time…

SMMMMMMMMACK!!!

…to catch a running Yakuza kick by the former Butcher. Viduus flips upside down from the impact of that size 15 to the face.

VASSA: “Suzie homemaker with the big boot to the face of Morta! Yikes! Almost shades of the old Butcher coming out now.”

JOHNSON: “Smith is as dangerous as he’s ever been, Vinny. You don’t change the stripes of a tiger just like that.”

Smith doesn’t give Morta a moment’s rest, learning from earlier, and pulls the Holy man into a standing headscissors. Smith then points towards the corner and screams out “TIME TO FUCKING DIE!” towards the crowd which gets them pumped up. Smith hoists Morta up into a powerbomb position and charges towards the corner with the glass pane in it.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHH!!!

As Morta shatters through the glass the crowd roars and even begins a “HOLY SHIT!” chant throughout the Toyota Center! Dakota stands over his opponent who lays there in a pile of a thousand pieces of glass.

JOHNSON: “SMITH PUTS MORTA THROUGH THE FIRST PANE OF GLASS HERE TONIGHT!”

VASSA: “Shards flying everywhere!”

JOHNSON: “Running powerbomb by Dakota Smith and Viduus Morta is sent through the glass, but still Dakota’s gotta put him through three more panes of glass if he wants to win this one.”

VASSA: “After a couple more of those the ring is going to be coated in glass itself.”

Viduus begins to stir, shards of glass drip from his back as he rolls himself over onto the mat. Dakota backs off for a moment and then charges in unloading with a couple of right hands to the side of Morta’s face. Smith then sends Morta into the ropes, on the rebound Dakota ducks down long enough to scoop up the Holy man…

SLLLLLLLLAMMMING!!!

…slamming him to the mat with a twisting Samoan Drop! From the impact, Viduus bounces twice on the mat and lays there motionless on his stomach. The crowd gets a firsthand view of the blood starting to drip from his cuts from going through the glass. This gives Dakota a chance to roll to the outside of the ring and he begins to dig under the ring and pulling out another one of the panes of glass and sliding it into the ring getting a nice reaction from the crowd. But, he doesn’t stop there, Dakota gets out another pane of glass and pulls the guardrailing closer which allows him to create a glass bridge on the outside of the ring.

JOHNSON: “Dakota setting up another pane of glass, he’s got something in mind here. Maybe back to back is the way to go and try to conserve all your strength here tonight.”

VASSA: “He’s probably in a hurry to catch a baking challenge on television later on or has some pies in the oven ready to go.”

Smith slides back into the ring, Viduus still lays there on his stomach in the middle of the ring, Smith picks up the pane of glass and places it into the corner propping it up into the corner once again on the opposite side of where he did the same thing earlier. However, as he has his back turned from Viduus, the Holy Man gets up from the mat and picks up the chair Dakota slid into the ring earlier. Dakota turns around…

SMMMMMMMMMMMMMMACK!!!

…and catches a vicious chair shot to the face!! Dakota staggers a little bit but doesn’t fall down even though he nearly ate that chair. Viduus winds up again as Dakota stumbles forward again right into it…

SMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMACK!!!

…that one knocks Dakota to his back in the middle of the ring. Viduus then takes the bent chair and tosses it to the side.

JOHNSON: “Vicious chair shots delivered by Viduus Morta! That’s one way to get the advantage back in this match.”

VASSA: “That man knows how to use a chair.”

JOHNSON: “Viduus putting a dent in there and tossing it aside, looks to me like he’s eyeing the glass in the corner now.”

VASSA: “Time for some carnage with a c!”

Viduus pulls Dakota Smith back up to his feet, Smith’s forehead has been busted open and blood has already started to trickle down the front of his face. Viduus backs up to about the middle of the ring with a boot to the gut he doubles over Smith and sets him up into a standing headscissors. Viduus does the slow throat slash gesture as he goes to lift up Smith into a powerbomb.

NO! Smith flips out of the powerbomb landing on his feet and counters with a vicious uppercut which backs Viduus up against the ring rops. Smith slings himself off of the opposite side ropes and charges in towards Morta with evil intentions.

CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAASSSSHHHHHHHH!!!

VASSA: “HOLY FUCKING SHIT!”

JOHNSON: “Back body drop to the outside! Viduus just sent Dakota up and over to the outside through that bridge of glass on the outside!!”

Indeed Viduus is able to duck under at the last moment sending Dakota up and over the top ropes and through the pane of glass on the outside of the ring!! Glass shatters into a thousand pieces as Dakota smashes through back first to the floor below. The crowd in the Toyota Center is in absolute shock at first, but then break out the “HOLY SHIT” chant soon afterwards. Viduus drops to his knees in the ring looking over his carnage and gives a wicked smirk. On the outside of the ring Dakota Smith lays across a broken pane of glass between the ring and guardrailing. Viduus slowly slinks out of the ring to the outside over to where Dakota is laying on the floor.

JOHNSON: “Dakota might be seriously hurt folks, not only did he break through that glass pane but landed hard onto that unforgiving floor.”

VASSA: “He’s going to let those pies go for too long in the oven now. Someone go check on Dakota’s pies in the back.”

Viduus rolls Smith back into the ring, but not before he ducks under the ring and pulls out a toolbox which he slides under the bottom ropes as well. Still bleeding from going through the glass earlier, he slides under the bottom ropes as well and flicks the latch to the toolbox pulling it up by the lid and spilling the tools out onto the mat. He tosses the empty toolbox aside and reaches for a wrench as Dakota Smith begins to roll back up to his feet. Viduus charges in with the wrench and unloads a wicked shot to the midsection with it, he follows that up with a couple of more shots to the ribs of Smith before striking Dakota across the face with a final shot! Dakota slumps into one of the corners as Viduus looks on at the blood that is now pouring from Smith’s face and cracks a wicked smile. Viduus charges in and connects with a running knee slamming Smith’s head up against the corner turnbuckle. The Hall of Famer looks to be in extremely bad shape as the attempts to fight back, but can barely throw a fist towards Morta who backs up again.

JOHNSON: “Dakota just swinging at the air now, you can just see how going through one pane of glass can be brutal to your health and each of these guys still have to put their opponent through three more.”

VASSA: “They’re going to need some help by the end of this match or perhaps some sort of blood transfusion midway through this match.”

JOHNSON: “Viduus backing up again here.”

Viduus charges in for a second time…

SLLLLLAMM!!!

…but only manages to drive his knee into the middle turnbuckle as Smith is able to roll out of the way at the last moment. Smith has problems attempting to get himself back up to his feet as Morta favors that knee some. Smith gets back up to his feet and unloads with a couple of big haymaker rights which rock Morta, he then boots Viduus into the midsection again hooking both arms of his opponent and quickly lifts him up into the air…

SLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAMM!!!

…slamming Morta to the mat with the Manson Family Driver! Dakota looks towards the pile of tools in the ring as a smile appears for the first time on his battered face. Smith heads over and pushes through the other wrenches and instead picks up a can of grease used on the ring ropes, he cracks that open and begins to pour the highly viscous sticky liquid onto his hands.

JOHNSON: “What is Dakota thinking here?”

VASSA: “That’s not a chocolate ganache!”

JOHNSON: “Dakota has coated his hand in that ring grease… what the…”

Then to the crowd’s delight, Dakota takes both of his grease covered hands towards the pile of broken glass in the corner of the ring and rolls the backs of his hands through them, picking up as many pieces as possible and giving him glass covered fists!

JOHNSON: “Oh my… have you ever seen something like that, Vinny?”

VASSA: “No… never, and let me just go back and take back everything I’ve said about Dakota Smith so far. I don’t want to mess with a man who’d do such a thing.”

Morta finally wills himself back up to his feet, but just as he does Dakota unloads one of the glass covered hands right into his forehead! He follows that up with a couple of other horrific looking shots to the face of Morta with those shards of glass sticking into the Holy man’s face and chest in the process! Morta can barely stand and falls up against the ring ropes out on his feet. Dakota locks him up from behind with a full nelson lock which he then lifts up into the air and connecting with a knee strike right to the back of Morta’s skull!!

JOHNSON: “Gorewhore shot to Morta! And Morta falls forward right into that pane of glass that was propped up between the ropes earlier in this match.”

VASSA: “That’s not good, that’s not good at all for Viduus Morta.”

Smith doesn’t have to do much as he hammers Morta again with that glass covered fist of his and lays Morta out onto the glass pane. The Toyota Center goes nuts as Smith looks over his fallen opponent laying across the corner on the glass pane and he heads to the outside of the ring and climbs to the top ropes overlooking his opponent. From the top, Dakota gives a sick grin as he leaps from the top ropes…

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHH!!!

…driving both knees into Viduus Morta who then in turn drives through the glass pane which just explodes everywhere in the process!! Smith rolls forward as it appears that Morta has been absolutely broken in half by that move. The crowd is in shock from the sheer insanity of that for a couple of moments before their bloodlust roar starts.

JOHNSON: “This Houston crowd getting a serious showing of insanity here as Dakota Smith just drove his knees through Viduus Morta and through a pane of glass!”

VASSA: “I am in utter shock right now, is the Butcher back? Is this real? Did we just go full Retrograde!?”

JOHNSON: “I don’t know, Vinny. But what I do know is that Dakota Smith has taken a two to one lead in this match! He’s halfway there!”

Dakota rolls to the outside of the ring, his face completely covered in blood at this point, his fists are dripping of blood as well. He flips the ring apron up and begins to look around underneath for a couple of moments before he tosses out a couple of chairs and pulls out another pane of glass. On the outside of the ring Dakota sets up the two chairs and places the pane of glass as a bridge between them he then rolls back into the ring and goes to scoop Viduus back up to his feet. Morta is just covered in glass shards sticking out from his body, blood covers most of his back as a result of the glass breaking through. Dakota points to the outside of the ring as he gives Morta a boot to the midsection and doubles him over into a standing headscissors. In a show of strength Dakota lifts up Morta looking to powerbomb him over the top ropes to the outside, Smith charges towards the ropes…

THHHHHUD!!!

…but is flipped over the top ropes as Morta catches himself on the top ropes preventing the big fall through the glass! Smith and Morta end up the ring apron instead. The two of them lay for a couple of moments trying to steady themselves back up into a standing position.

VASSA: “Somehow Viduus prevented himself from falling through the damn glass on the outside!”

JOHNSON: “These two are tearing each other apart and they’re doing everything possible to do so.”

Smith is back up first and goes for a haymaker with that fist of his still covered in grease and glass, but Morta is able to duck under the shot which allows him to counter with a nasty forearm shot right to the back of Dakota’s skull. This allows Morta to pull Smith back by the back of his head and hooks on a standing reverse position, in one single motion he lifts Smith up into the air like a suplex and drops…

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSHHH!!!

…sending him through the pane of glass on the outside of the ring from the ring apron!! The crowd can’t believe it as Morta follows through with Smith to the floor below.

JOHNSON: “Awakening from the ring apron through the glass pane on the outside!!”

VASSA: “Oh man, Dakota Smith might be dead… again!”

JOHNSON: “Glass is everywhere, sticking out of each of these two men and while they are now even at two glass panes each. They’ve still got halfway to go each!”

VASSA: “Wow, what’s next? What can be done to each other now?”

JOHNSON: “We’re going to find out, Vinny. We’re going to find all that out here as this match continues!”

Viduus is the first to move as he begins to pull himself up first with use of the ring apron. Dakota still lays there motionless for the most part, this allows Morta more time to move about on the outside, the first thing he does is toss the chairs from the outside back into the ring as well as pull out another pane of glass which he slides into the ring. Viduus also grabs something from under the ring and stuffs it down the front of his trunks just before he climbs back into the ring and begins to go to work setting up another bridge of glass using the chairs to prop up the glass. Viduus the slides to the outside of the ring to go and find what Dakota is up to. Dakota has been able to get up to a vertical base, but is still mostly on dream street as Morta charges over and unloads with a couple of backhanded chops across Smith’s chest. Smith stumbles backwards which allows Viduus to take a running charge at Smith, he flings himself into the air…

SMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMACK!!!

…crashing face first into the ring post as Dakota is able to move out the way at the last moment. Morta falls to the ground as Smith stumbles around a bit more holding his back in supreme pain.

JOHNSON: “You can just see the toll that is being taken on each of these two.”

VASSA: “It’s like they’ve been through multiple car accidents only to get back into new cars and drive them down the street at 100 miles per hour again.”

JOHNSON: “We said earlier that we’d be shocked if someone didn’t end up in the hospital… but I’ve got to think that both men will be making that trip as soon as this match is over here tonight.”

VASSA: “You think Viduus has good health insurance? Think that’s a part of the cult perks?”

JOHNSON: “I have no idea, Vinny.”

Dakota pulls Morta back up to his feet and rolls him into the ring and follows back in as well. Both men showing the damage they’ve taken already in this match with still the best of three to be played out for this Houston crowd. Dakota eyes the set up that Morta has made for himself in the ring and nods in appreciation as he pulls his foe back up to a standing position. With as much strength as he’s got left his body, Dakota wraps his hands around the throat of Viduus as he looks to lift him up into the air that way onto the glass bridge. But, just as Dakota goes for the double chokeslam, Viduus counters with an elbow right to the side of Dakota’s head which stuns him long enough to allow the Holy man to wiggle free from the Hall of Famer. Viduus backs up long enough to unload with a running clothesline which wipes out Dakota Smith.

Viduus struggles to stay on his feet, but he does so as Dakota tries to pull himself back up to his feet as well. Viduus charges in and connects with a running knee strike which slams Smith up and into the corner turnbuckle shoulder first with a heavy thud. Dakota stumbles out of the corner as Viduus slings himself off of the farside ropes hurling himself at full speed towards the Hall of Famer…

CCCCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSH!!!

…sending Dakota Smith through his third pane of glass!

JOHNSON: “SOUL REAPER! VIDUUS MORTA CONNECTING WITH THE SOUL REAPER SPEAR AND BOTH MEN CRASH THROUGH THE PANE OF GLASS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING!!”

VASSA: “For those of you at home playing along, that’s three panes of glass for Viduus and two for Dakota Smith. You know, just in case you’re not here for the violence.”

JOHNSON: “Plenty of that to go around here tonight. But this means that all Viduus has to do to win this match is to put Dakota Smith through one more pane of glass to win this sickening match up here tonight.”

Smith is still laid out in a pile of broken glass, Viduus doesn’t get back up to his feet but instead slithers out of the ring to the outside where he begins the hunt for another pane of glass. After a moment or two he pulls out another one and slides it into the ring. Morta, covered with more blood than body paint at this point, takes a breather before he follows back into the ring. Without wasting any time Morta unloads a couple of right hands to the face of Dakota Smith who had managed to get to all fours before getting unloaded upon. Morta takes this chance to set up the pane of glass onto the chairs again in the ring, he stands up and from his tights he pulls out a baggie that he must have grabbed earlier from under the ring. As he opens it up, he takes out a small squirt bottle and begins to spray the surface of the pane of glass.

JOHNSON: “Is that… is that lighter fluid?”

VASSA: “I think so, Stevie. I think Viduus Morta is about to add a little bit more to this match and that’s a flaming pane of glass!”

Sure enough, Viduus empties the bottle onto the pane glass. He turns his attention back towards Dakota Smith and unloads with a couple of right hands to the side of his face. Viduus then sets up Smith into a standing headscissors and stands in front of the pane of glass as he waits and flicks the lighter onto a piece of paper which he tosses onto the glass which causes it to “WOOSH” up into flame! The Toyota Center loses their shit as Viduus eyes the flames and goes to lift Smith up into the air. But Smith counters! Smith slaps both hands around the throat of Viduus and lifts him up into the air…

CCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

…and the place finds their shit only to lose it again as Dakota Smith hits a double chokeslam on Viduus Morta through a flaming pane of glass!!

VASSA: “STEVIE! STEVIE! STEVIE! WE JUST WITNESSED A MURDER! DO I DIAL 9-1-1?”

JOHNSON: “DAKOTA SMITH JUST PUT VIDUUS THROUGH A FLAMING PANE OF GLASS! AND BOTH MEN STILL HAVE ONE MORE PANE OF GLASS TO GO!”

Viduus rolling about in glass as he tries to put the flames out and continues to get more shards of glass stuck into his body as a result. Dakota does his best to try and sit up from a lying position, his body covered in glass and blood as he looks on Viduus a sick smile grows on his face. Slowly, Dakota rolls himself to the outside of the ring and stumbles around for a couple of moments doubled over in pain before he checks under the ring for another pane of glass.

JOHNSON: “How Dakota Smith is still walking around right now is complete mystery to me, this man has been through hell and back in this match and he’s showing the effects of getting put through three panes of glass right now.”

VASSA: “Yeah, and he’s the one who is better off right now.”

JOHNSON: “Dakota’s got that pane of glass. Next man who put his opponent through is going to end up the winner…. Or survivor if you find that more accurate.”

Dakota looks under the ring and slides out the pane of glass, he then goes back under the ring and takes out a table as well. On the outside of the ring he sets up the table first and then places the pane of glass onto it. Looking over his creation he then slides back into the ring and goes right to the attack on Viduus Morta. Dakota unloads with some sickening rights as he rocks the world of Morta over and over again with unrelenting shots. Morta can’t even muster up a defense at this point and just backs up against the ring ropes. Dakota hits him with a massive boot to the midsection doubling Viduus over in pain and Dakota quickly locks in a standing headscissors, he then points to the table just over the ropes near by as the Toyota Center gets ready for another big boom.

Dakota goes to lift up the less than two hundred pound Morta into a powerbomb position, but as he goes to lift him up Dakota’s arms are unable to hold the weight and he drops Morta back down. The pain runs through the arms and into the shoulders of the Hall of Famer as he tries to do it for a second time, this time he gets less on the attempt and Morta just falls back down to the mat as Dakota stumbles away in some pain.

JOHNSON: “The pain is too much in those arms, the toll of this match has been taken on Dakota. Either from an injury or from sheer blood loss he’s lost the strength in his arms now.”

VASSA: “Could be both, you never know, but Dakota has got to be able to lift Morta up somehow and put him through that last pane of glass.”

Dakota charges back in determined to try it again, but Viduus counters with a double leg takedown of Smith! Morta quickly falls backwards and Smith hits the bottom ropes throat first as Morta catapults him that way. Morta then pulls Smith back up to his feet and puts the boot to him to get Smith into a stand headscissors. It’s now Morta’s turn as he goes to lift Smith into a powerbomb position, but now it’s Morta who can’t seem to lift Smith up as well. Morta quickly grabs his back in some pain, but pushes through the pain and tries it for a second time with no luck either!

JOHNSON: “Viduus Morta is now unable to lift up Dakota Smith! Morta holding his back in some serious pain and just like Smith all the strength has gone away.”

VASSA: “So now it begs the question, how do you get someone through that pane of glass?”

JOHNSON: “I have no idea.”

Morta then goes for the Irish whip sending Dakota Smith into the far side ropes, on the rebound Morta ducks down looking for another back body drop on Smith through the glass on the outside but this time before Dakota is launched is able to counter with a vicious boot right to the jaw of Viduus!! Smith is the one now who sends Morta to the far side with a whip and he drops down returning the favor, but Morta puts on the breaks and counters…

SLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAMM!!!

…with a DDT!

JOHNSON: “Both men trying to get some momentum on their opponent to get them over the ropes to the outside, but that’s not working.”

VASSA: “And Viduus might have just done the worst thing possible and turned Dakota Smith into pure deadweight. There’s no way he’s going to be able to lift him up now.”

JOHNSON: “Good point by you Vinny. If you can’t lift the guy up, you shouldn’t drop him to the mat.”

Viduus gets back up to his feet and looks around hoping for some sort of answer, maybe from the higher power above, he then scrambles to the outside and quickly starts looking under the ring for something to help him out in this situation. After a moment or two Viduus takes out the answer he was looking for in the form of a ladder, which he slides into the ring and follows right after.

VASSA: “Well, maybe that’s one way of doing it.”

JOHNSON: “Could be. This might just do it here folks.”

Viduus sets up the ladder right next to the ring ropes that overlooks the table with the glass pane sitting on top of it. He then scoops up one of the steel chairs as Dakota tries to stand back up to his feet…

SMMMMMMACK!!!

…drilling the Hall of Famer across the side of the head for good measure. Smith lands up against the ladder completely out of it as Viduus tosses the chair to the side and he pushes Smith up the ladder rung by rung. Smith, a bit groggy, does his best to hold onto the ladder as he slowly is pushed upwards by Morta. Smith, however begins to fight back with a couple of right hands, the second one seems to stun Morta long enough for him to back away. Smith regains his composure just in time as Morta charges in towards the ladder in an attempt to knock it over…

SLLLLLLLLLLAMMM!!!

…and connects with a flying fist right to the face of Viduus from the ladder! Smith gets right back up and kicks up the ladder and folds it up as Morta gets back up to his feet. Smith uses the ladder as a weapon…

SMMMMMMACK!!!

SMMMMMMACK!!!

SMMMMMMACK!!!

…nailing Viduus three times with the ladder right in the midsection twice followed by one across the face!

VASSA: “And now we’re adding ladders to this match? Holy crap.”

JOHNSON: “Everything that hasn’t been nailed down has found its way into this match so far.”

VASSA: “Don’t say nails too loud, they might hear you.”

Smith then resets the ladder upright in the ring as Morta begins get back up to his feet. Smith is now the one who begins to push Morta up the ladder. The Holy man climbs up on his own some in an attempt to get away from Smith and in the process knocks Smith down to the floor, Smith swings around to the other side and the duo both begin to climb to the top of the ladder. The crowd in the Toyota Center again begin to get to their feet as Smith and Morta begin to unload right hands on each other once again. Smith uses the last of the glass shards stick to his hand to his advantage as he wipes them across the face of Morta once more, but Morta counters by rocking the ladder back and forth some in an attempt to escape.

The ladder begins to tip.

The duo begin to fall towards the outside of the ring….

CCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHHHH!!!

Somehow, Viduus Morta is able to catch himself on the ring ropes and prevents him from going through the table and pane of glass on the outside. That means that Dakota Smith is the one who breaks the last pane of glass and through the table.

JOHNSON: “VIDUUS MORTA HAS SURVIVED THIS MATCH!”

VASSA: “Wow. It’s just like a higher power reached out and saved Morta from falling through that pane of glass… weird.”

JOHNSON: “I don’t know what it was, but thankfully this match is over and now we can get both of these two some much needed medical attention.”

Viduus, unable to raise his arm in victory just lays there on the ring apron looking at the carnage on the outside of the ring where Dakota Smith lays in a pile of glass and wood. Once again “Cry Little Sister” begins to play as the 4CW medical team rush towards the two men laying around the ring.

DING!!! DING!!! DING!!!

POWERS: “Here is your winner… VIDUUS MMOORRTTAA!!!”

The medical team continues to check on the two bloody individuals as the fans cheer on for an encore.

“En-core! … En-core! … En-core! … En-core! … En-core!”

VASSA: “Listen to these maniacs in the building tonight, screaming for more!”

JOHNSON: “I don’t think either of these two men can give them any more after this battle they just had. But they’re in luck!”

VASSA: “Oh really?!”

JOHNSON: “Indeed! Lucky for them we still have quite a few matches ahead to quench their thirst for wrestling action!”

VASSA: “I just hope that they enjoy the show the ringside crew puts on for them while cleaning this mess up at ringside. It’s going to take them forever to clean up the wreckage.”

JOHNSON: “You’re right about that. Sit tight ladies and gents, we’re going to go backstage while this crime scene is cleaned up for the rest of the card we have planned ahead.”

It was that time where people have been wondering what’s been going on with a man who’s one of the first members of the 4CW been apart from the early days. A man who wasn’t a very nice person back in his times in 4CW where he used to cause hell or at least that’s what he’s more known for. Of course, he has times where he showed the good side as well in his last run in 4CW before he had a lump on his face that had to be removed. Now you see a man who people wouldn’t recognize right away with how messed up his face was from surgery. However, while he was standing backstage, it was still unknown who the guy was, despite the history cos of the new look with how the man looks really ugly now. The guy begins to speak.

UNKNOWN FACE:”How it’s great to be back here 4CW. The whole idea of having a retro-themed PPV has certainly caught my attention to this company again. I know some of you are wondering, who the hell am I? What is my purpose of being here? I miss this company so much like I remember the retro matches I had against Jason Cashe, Cyrus Riddle, Aidan Carlisle, Chris Madison, Dakota Smith, Bronxy Valescence in the past I know about. I, of course, heard of Jair Hopkins, Bryan Laughlin, and Genevie Carlson. The last three named, although I never knew why with Jair Hopkins were wrestlers I never faced when I was last round.”

Was still pretty unknown of who this man was with a new look as it could’ve been anybody from the past, but it still explains nothing as the man continues.

UNKNOWN FACE: ”Even Perry Wallace wondered who the hell I was because I’ve changed so much with my look, it’s unbelievable until I mentioned my name to him that he allowed me after giving him proof of my ID just to get in here tonight. I also heard Dakota Smith saying in a video that he caused me hell and almost killed me in the seven panes of glass match three or two years ago I believe and he’s right, he did and I saw how brutal Dakota was with Viduus Morta in the match we saw and I expected things to get nasty because I’ve been there, especially the number of pieces of glass I had removed from my back and other injuries I had stitched up for too.”

Of course, most people know from the history of that match mostly from the guys who were around at the time and the newer guys of the company didn’t exactly know who this man was as he’s never shown his face for many years.

UNKNOWN FACE”If you guessed I’m Lord Raab, you’re correct. I’m not saying I’m gonna come back on the next show, I still need to work out who I want to be in myself because ever since surgery, I’ve had to go through a lot of counselling, talking about my childhood and my love life. There’s a lot for me to expose to you all that I haven’t truly told anyone because I was scared of doing so and I still am hence why I’m not returning just yet. I want to come back when 4CW reaches to having one hundred and fifty shows in its company as it means a lot to me when 4CW reaches that landmark because I’ve been apart of the company from day one.”

Lord Raab really has changed a lot, heck even lost quite a lot of weight because of how sick he’s been psychically more than the mental side and he speaks again.

LORD RAAB:”I won’t be wearing a mask or be known as 4CW’s green disease monster anymore because the green monster is dead. I want to start things fresh with my new outlook on life and coming back to achieve two things I’ve not achieved yet in 4CW, winning a title and most importantly, be in 4CW’s Hall Of Fame. I’m not happy about not being put in there yet because I’ve worked my ass off to place my name with the greats, but I get it as well because I haven’t won a title yet which still bothers me day in and out along with my disgusting attitude I had as well.”

It’s been a long while since the last time Lord Raab spoke, heck he said more now than he had at any period of being in 4CW and he says a few more things before the PPV continues.

LORD RAAB:”That’s the one thing I’m gonna fix a lot as well as what I said about exposing myself a bit more about my life and I honestly don’t ever want to go back the way I was because that now scares me. It scares me that I could be put in hardcore situations again to make me this sickening monster who did nothing, but hurt and destroy people and that’s not going to happen this time because I’m a new man and at 4CW’s one hundred and fiftieth show, that’s when will make my return in the 4CW ring. I also heard about this Octane show as well that I’m going to check out as well as Adrenaline to see which place would be the best fit for me.”

That was it, everyone has now seen what Lord Raab looked like as he was ugly and had a large nose, but was expected after surgery after all these years of wondering who Lord Raab looked like under the mask and seems like he’s refusing to go back to his old ways. He also shows off the 4CW tattoo he still has from the days he placed it near his heart, treasuring how special the company is for him and the cameras go elsewhere backstage for the time being.

A familiar voice begins speaking as the camera cuts backstage to a hand tapping a red ink pen upon the dotted line to a contract placed upon Perry Wallace’s office desk.

WALLACE: “South Beach Brawl Cup, huh?”

The camera scrolls up to show Perry Wallace pulling a glass of Scotch from his lips. Leaning back in his seat, he relaxes for a moment.

WALLACE:”Yup, you absolutely have a spot this year and it’s only right.”

Wallace looks across the table awaiting the person to ink the dotted line. The taps from the pen upon the paper grow louder in a more rapid pace. As he takes another drink, Wallace almost couldn’t help but break the silence.

WALLACE:”Look, you’ve voiced your opinions, concerns, and previous frustrations. Are you going to continue playing a damn drum solo on the paper or are you going to sign the contract?”

The tapping stops as the camera shoots back down to the contract with a hand tightly gripping the pen and placing it upon the dotted line still giving the impression as if to have skepticism or second thought.

WALLACE:”For fuck sake, It’s time to put your big boy pants on and get your ass back on the big show!”

Finally the red pen bleeds upon the paper, the person scribbling his signature upon the white paper. Red ink to white parchment as if it were written in blood. Dropping the pen upon the table the camera pans up revealing Johnny Evil. Only Evil isn’t how 4CW remembers him a couple months prior…

The golden locks are gone, his hair is now died black and his hair now matches more of his personality…

EVIL:”Yes… it is…”

Evil places his palms upon the table. Looking down he takes a breath and twitches for a moment. He looks back up and turns his head toward the camera giving of a playful smirk.

BLACK:”4CW pawns… we’ll see you soon…”

The cameras enter into the medical facility where Andre Holmes sits on the bed still in his in-ring attire getting attended to by the doctors. His family surrounds him as they converse and celebrate his victory. The cameras approach him with the crew asking how did it meant to finally beat Alexis Mercer. He places a hand on his wife’s shoulders and hugs his daughters who stands in front of him.

HOLMES: ”Man. It feels amazing. I’ve had to endured so much pain, mind games and threats from her that I knew I had to become more relentless than I’ve ever been. I told Alexis that you should never disrespect a man’s family and look what happened? She’s been beaten into a bloody pulp, literally. I can finally put this all behind me and continue on my way to becoming the absolute best in the entire world of 4 Corners Wrestling.”

HOLMES: ”To everyone who is watching this, don’t let anyone tear you down. You are stronger than you believe and you can do anything you want to accomplish. Being alone and loving others doesn’t make you weak, it makes you stronger than ever. Alexis failed to see that and she’ll forever be alone due to her lack of humanity. On the other hand, I’ll grow into a bigger person always.”

As he receives a towel to wipe his sweat, he gets asked what is the future for Andre Holmes in 4CW.

HOLMES: ”That’s a good question. I have gold in my view and I don’t mind becoming a champion sooner than later. Or perhaps win the South Beach Brawl Tournament. All I can say from now on, things are going to change in order for 2018 to become a fresh year where I excel above the rest. Now if you excuse me, I have to go home and tuck my kids in and also make love to my beautiful wife!”

The cameras fade to black as Andre Holmes and his family leave the medical room.

The camera catches up to Anastasia Hayden in the back, getting in a few last minute stretches, and putting on the final touches to her gear. She looks into a small mirror, applying her eye black before turning toward the camera; an obvious look of determination on her face.

HAYDEN:“It’s only February and we’re only moments away from the biggest match of the year. Everyone’s waiting for it. You can rundown this card all you want, but the fact is, there might as well only be one match here. Anastasia Hayden. Bronx Valescence. That’s all that fucking matters. I applaud everyone else for showing up, but we’re all they need. It’s all anyone’s going to talk about, so why bother with anything else?”

A nonchalant shrug from Ana as she begins to wrap some tape around her hand and wrist.

HAYDEN:“We knew that we’d cross paths again and we knew that it’d be the biggest match in 4CW the moment we did. And now we’re here, Bronx. I’ve been waiting for this match ever since I beat you last year. I had to sit back and watch you go through Manny and Marquis before we got to an actual contender. I was the only person last year who brought you down to your knees and showed the world that you could be broken.”

On cue nearly, Ana bites off part of the tape to finish wrapping up one hand before going to work on the other.

HAYDEN:“Tonight isn’t about winning the 4CW Championship or enjoying the ‘prestige’ that comes with it…it’s about taking it from you. It’s about reminding you that you will bend the knee to me. And while revenge is on your mind tonight; while taking me down and proving your the best is on your mind…I’ll be standing there with a smile on my face as a reminder that you failed before…and you’ll do it again. Your arrogance and ignorance caused your downfall once before, I don’t think tonight will be any different.”

There’s a cocky half-grin on her face at the mention of it.

HAYDEN:“But I guess there will be one difference, right? Because when that cage raises, I’ll be standing there once again, but time, I’ll be holding your precious little 4CW Championship above my head before I just fucking toss it into the air. Tonight’s goal is about showing how worthless all your hard work was, Bronx. It’s about disrespect pure and simple. I get that you’re going to huff and puff your chest, scream and spit that nothing is going to change, but Bronx…that’s coming from the mouth of a man who already knows he lost.”

Again, Ana bites off the tape and finishes wrapping up her other hand; her cold glare never breaking eye contact with the camera.

HAYDEN:“When I beat you, the fear sunk in. You started to believe the reality that you weren’t untouchable. And you’ve been running ever since. It’s been a race to wipe away this loss because as embarrassing as losing to Manny was…I was your biggest failure. Retrograde has given you a chance to right that wrong…but I won’t let it happen. I see the strain on your face, the exhaustion…I see that you’re running on fumes. You can see the finish line, but that’s just the mark of the next lap, Bronx.”

She chuckles halfheartedly as she hops up onto production crate, lacing up her boots.

HAYDEN:“Your time is running out, Bronx. Can you sense it? There’s a shift in the balance of things. A change is coming. You’ve come a long way and I’m sure a lot of people are proud of you, Bronx. I could sit here and run you down some more, call you a fucking idiot or a hypocrite, but that’s come and gone. Right now it’s about preparing myself for what’s to come and what I’m going to do once we’re trapped inside that cage. I know what I need to do…I’m ready to do what I need to do. Now it’s just about coming to terms with what comes after that because you represent an old guard, Bronx. An old guard that needs to be cleansed for the new year.”

Ana looks at the camera for a moment, the smirk appearing right back on her face before going back to her boots.

HAYDEN:“And I’m the future. I’m ready to carry this company, that belt, your sorry ass…I’m the strongest wrestler here and the world will take notice tonight. But you know, Bronx, despite everything we’ve said, all hatred we’ve exhanged…you’re one of my best friends in this industry and I’ve got no issue pushing you off the ladder down to the depths of hell where you belong. In fact? I’m looking forward to it!”

Hopping off the production crate, Ana is as ready as one can be before heading into a war. Her grin fades away and her eyes narrow, the audience getting the signature look of Anastasia one more time.

HAYDEN:“See you soon, champ.”

The words come out as cold as intended and Ana pops in her mouth guard before heading off as the camera cuts elsewhere.

The Toyota Center of Houston, Texas has been sold out for the next great PPV of Retrograde. After a series of amazing under card matches, the audience has come into the realm of main events. With the 4CW Pride Championship on the line, Jair Hopkins defends the Pride Championship against Alessandro Quagliaterre in the co-main event. The cameras return their gaze back to Johnson and Vassa sat behind the announce table.

JOHNSON: ”Welcome back to ringside ladies and gentlemen. Up next we have our Pride Championship match which I’ve just received word has been slightly changed.”

VASSA: ”CHANGED?!?! What is this, WWH?!”

JOHNSON: ”Not exactly. It appears that Perry Wallace has lost a bet to Jimmy Walker and the stipulations of said bet gave Jimmy the authority to change one stipulation for tonight’s event.”

VASSA: ”Change one stipulation. OH GREAT, HE’S CHANGING THIS TO A FATAL FOURWAY AND BRINGING OUT TWO MORE PEOPLE!!!”

JOHNSON: ”Oh no, I would put my foot down. Originally this match was scheduled to be best two of three falls. Well Jimmy said to Hell with that and he’s cashed his prize in, making tonight’s Pride Championship match a single fall so he can get out of here early to do whatever it is that Jimmy does.”

VASSA: ”Is he even here tonight?”

JOHNSON: ”Probably not, but more than likely this is to make Perry’s life a living Hell as a result of everyone coming to him for the abrupt change.”

VASSA: ”You know, I’m starting to like Jimmy more and more.”

JOHNSON: ”The other terms of this bet is that Jimmy requested there be a Carnivale ad in the middle of this match, guaranteeing to get views from the millions watching tonight.”

VASSA: ”Smart move to be honest.”

JOHNSON: ”But Anyway, we’ve finally reached the headline of Retrograde. The recently awarded 4CW Hall of Famer, Jair Hopkins and current 4CW Pride Champion will defend himself against the upcoming hot upstart, Alessandro Quagliaterre. This is going to be an extremely entertaining match as it has grudges involved and low blows coming your way.”

VASSA: ”Yeah motherfucker! Alessandro talking all that shit to Jair’s daughter and also he’s been saying that how he should be the next 4CW Pride Champion. The fucking chance of that happening is a thousand to one. The best changes in professional wrestling are the ones that prove you right. So now, we’re going to witness a new 4CW Pride Champion!”

JOHNSON: ”That’s not true. Jair has been on an undefeated streak and has beaten the very best thrown at him. He’s been on an unstoppable momentum and it’s quite unsure if anyone in the company can. Hell, he’s even beaten Bronx Valescence so why does that say?”

VASSA: ”I see…well…HE GOT FUCKING LUCKY! OKAY?!”

JOHNSON: ”Tonight isn’t about luck, tonight is about skill and the will to continue. Lets kick it over to Powers to call for the match introductions.”

The cameras transition over to Powers in his signature suit and tie standing in the center of the ring with a microphone under his chin. He nods as his head as he gets the cue from production begin with the match introductions!

DING!!! DING!!!

POWERS: ”Ladies and Gentlemen, this is our co-main event of the evening! This match is scheduled for one fall and it is for the 4CW Pride Championship!”

The lights dim out to an almost pitch black darkness. The crowd falls silent wondering what is happening. The sound of a woman screams.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

The lights turn back on illuminating brightly around the arena. Music subtly preludes into the arena, with a continuous phonetic utterance echoing around the venue by the same female who was screaming.

“Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum”

“Disturbia” by Rihanna then plays on the sound system, and the crowd immediately responded with a mixed reception. Alessandro Quagliaterre then bursts through the curtain full of energy. They are decisive in their indifference, not sure whether to love or hate him with the tension at a knife edge. He soaks in the atmosphere and poses at the top of the ramp with a couple of dabs. He elongates this action for a considerable length of time, and this pisses the crowd off.

“No more gas in the red

Can’t even get it started

Nothing heard, nothing said

Can’t even speak about it

All my life on my head

Don’t want to think about it

Feels like I’m going insane

Yeah”

“It’s a thief in the night

To come and grab you

It can creep up inside you

And consume you

A disease of the mind

It can control you

It’s too close for comfort”

He smiles back at the crowd, unaffected by their response, and then in his own time, he slowly walks down the ramp without a care in the world.

POWERS: ”Introducing first! Hailing from Alpine, New Jersey! At six feet, four inches tall, weighing in at two hundred and forty pounds. He is ALESSANDRO QQUUAAGGLLIIAATTEERRRREE!!!”

He really drags this on and extends the crowd patience to it fullest by taking as long as he wants. The audience gets frustrated throwing, even more, shade in the direction of Alessandro, but he brushes it off.

“Throw on your brake lights

We’re in the city of wonder

Ain’t gonna play nice

Watch out, you might just go under

Better think twice

Your train of thought will be altered

So if you must falter be wise

Your mind is in Disturbia”

“It’s like the darkness is the light

Disturbia

Am I scaring you tonight

Your mind is in Disturbia

Ain’t used to what you like

Disturbia

Disturbia”

He then finally reaches the ring, and slowly walks up the steel steps, and poses some more on the turnbuckle, to really rub it into the crowd that he has arrived. He then flips down, waiting patiently by the corner of the ring, ready to unleash all types of hell on his opponent.

VASSA: ”Many of our new talents have been known to excel through championship matches, wins or competing in entertaining feuds. Alessandro beating the fuck out of Jair Hopkins would already make him breakout star of the year. There isn’t a better victory I can think of this talented man who exemplifies charisma and beautiful in-ring talent!”

The outrageous blast of fireworks went off, like that of a foot pedal to a bass drum. Loud blast certainly got the fans up after “Hit Em’” was heard, kicking in the funky beat. As the beat went further, anticipation mounted although knowing who was about to come out. They waited and waited and they got the shock of their lives.

VASSA:“IS THAT BERNIE MOTHERFUCKIN SANDERS??? ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW???”

JOHNSON:“OH MY GOD! WHAT IS THIS???”

“Fight the POWER!

We’ve got to fight the powers that be!”

The hook, “Fight The Power” erupts loudly through the speakers from Public Enemy. Bernie Sanders had the 4CW Pride Championship around his waist as he “raised the roof” pushing his hands and arms up into the air to the beat. His feet were on-time, rhythmic all the way through. Bernie was being a true OG tonight and nothing seemingly was off limits. He continued jamming, even choosing to go down and do a little of “Old-Timer’s” breakdancing for the fans. 76 years of age felt like 26 right now, he was living! Folks were loving it enough, you could hear the cheers.

“GO BERNIE! GO BERNIE! IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY, GO BERNIE!”

VASSA:“Bernie must’ve been in the Grey Goose!”

JOHNSON:“He’s hyped like the rest of us right now!”

Bernie stood at the stage, just before the ramp as he pointed to the entrance and from out of the back appeared to be Flava Fla–No, the PRIDE Champion himself, Jair Hopkins! Looking just like the best Hypeman in the Hip-Hop Industry, Flava Flav. Clock and all around the neck connected by a gold chain, dressed in all white, with a white Top hat. White gloves. White suit with the White Adidas with the three Black stripes to finish the look off. He jammed with Bernie on the stage before unbuckling the Pride Championship from around Bernie’s waist to put on his shoulder instead, nodding his head to the ring where Alessandro stood, seemingly unamused.

HOPKINS:“YEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHH BBBBBOOOOYYYYYY!!!!”

“As the rhythm designed to bounce

What counts is that the rhymes

Designed to fill your mind

Now that you’ve realized the pride’s arrived

We got to pump the stuff to make us tough

From the heart

It’s a start, a work of art”

HOPKINS:“COMIN’ RIGHT ATCHA’. THAT SUCKA IN THE RING AINT READY. HIS TIMES UP!”

VASSA:“I can’t believe he got Bernie Sanders to come here!”

JOHNSON:“Well, they are two “Brooklynites” after all! Connection is clear.”

Hopkins waves up the clock into the camera, showing off the diamonds inside the clock for the 3, 6, 9 and 12 marks on the clock. Bernie was steady jamming, albeit not as hard as he was at the start but he was still on one. Hopkins pointed to Ales as he downed the ramp, and making his way up the steps to the apron. Hopkins nodded to the audience before tipping his head and the tall ass Top Hat down enough to enter the ring through the ropes. Bernie stayed on the outside.

POWERS:“And his Opponent, HAILING from the Concrete Jungle, Brooklyn, New York. Standing at Five feet, eight inches and weighing in at two hundred and eleven pounds. A Former two-time 4CW Champion, Former one-time 4CW Tag Champion… and your 4CW PRIDE CHAMPION, JAIR HHOOPPKKIINNSS!!!”

The music died down but Jair went to the corners, raising his title high to each side before showcasing it to his opposition, Alessandro Quagliaterre, who held in his hidden rage. He kissed the Pride title. He gave praise to Bernie Sanders who was making his way back up the ramp and to the back. Audience cheered him loudly, a huge pop before focus set back to Jair inside the ring.

JOHNSON:“Now this is the moment everyone has been waiting for. Jair Hopkins as the 4CW Pride Champion has elevated the championship just by holding it. He’s been on an undefeated streak beating some of the best names in the promotion. Tonight, he gets a chance to add another name to the list of his great championship reign and current undefeated streak in the co-main event of 4CW Retrograde! Here we go!”

DING!!! DING!!!

“LETS GO HOPKINS! YOU SUCK ALES! LETS GO HOPKINS! YOU SUCK ALES!”

Both competitors leave their corners simultaneously and circle the ring by keeping to the ropes. The distance gets closer and closer as the two create serious strategies in their head to try and one up each other. As they step into the center of the ring, they lock up in the traditional collar and elbow tie up. Both men are not moving, it’s a stalemate. Alessandro uses his powers to invoke a Side Headlock keeping him immobilized in the center of the ring. He increases the torque by sweeping him off the mat and applying the submission on the canvas.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

JOHNSON:”Alessandro Quagliaterre applying his weight and height advantage to gain the first offense of the match. Now he’s using his weight advantage again applying the Side Headlock while on top of Jair Hopkins. How will the champion get out of this situation?”

Quickly reeling his legs around his enemy’s neck, Quagliaterre gets locked in a Scissors Choke. Jair continues to squeeze his thighs around his throat then Ales pulls his neck out between his legs. Both men are back on their feet and Jair gets Shoulder Barged down to the mat. Quagliaterre runs to the ropes beside him, rebounds and hops over his body continuing his run. The rebound again leads to a Dropkick by Hopkins who pushes him back into the ropes. Getting up, Ales comes back into him again and gets Japanese Armdragged into the canvas again.

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

VASSA:”A Dropkick and a Japanese Armdrag? Pfft. Alessandro can do those both with his eyes closed! If Jair thinks he’s gonna win this match with that bullshit, he’s sadly fuckin’ mistaken!”

Instead of going for the pin, he keeps pressure on the right arm of Ales in his grasp. Torquing it to the point the referee checks in on the submission; However, Jair sees his opponent powering back up to his feet. He takes the right arm of Hopkins and throws him into the corner where his back gets glued to the turnbuckles. The champion charges across the ring and blows Ales’ head with a Flying Forearm Smash! He runs out of the corner, into the ropes and rebounds back into Quagliaterre walking into the center of the ring for a Running Crossbody!

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

JOHNSON:”Running Crossbody by the Pride Champion! Jair Hopkins wasting no time setting the fast paced motion of the match! Here is the pin attempt by the champion!”

ONE

.

.

TW–

Ales kicks out of the pin attempt and rolls out of the ring to ringside. He takes the moments to recover after the momentum has been against him. Jair stands him in the center of the ring, watches Ales recovers then shoots behind him towards the ropes. He rebounds and Suicide Dives through the ropes but to his surprise, Quagliaterre catches him in his arms. He squats then leans backwards projecting a Fallaway Slam where Hopkins’ back turns inside out after slamming against the ringside barricade. The referee begins the count out!

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!”

“One! … Two!”

VASSA:”Hahahahahahahaha! A Fallaway Slam into the ringside barricade! Genius-level psychology and awareness by the challenger! Alessandro is already proving to be more violent and brutal of a champion’s mindset than Jair Hopkins.”

Picking him up in his grasp, he leans him back against the apron exposing his chest. Back-to-back Forearm Clubs are beating into the chest of Jair who suffers this barrage. Taking Hopkins by the back of his head. Alessandro runs him into the steel steps then slaps his face off the steel structure. Jair bounces off and drops down onto his hands and knees on the ringside mat. When he gets up and turns around, he eats a powerful Lariat knocking him down deeper into the mat!

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

VASSA:”Man, having front row seats to this match is making me excited! Jair almost got fucking decapitated by Alessandro’s power! Come on Alessandro, beat the shit out of him more and become the new 4CW Pride Champion!

“Three! … Four!”

Quagliaterre rolls Jair back into the ring and chases after him too. He helps him back up to his feet then whips him down into the ropes. Catching Jair in his grasp, he lifts him up into a Shoulder Powerslam until the champion slips off his right shoulder behind him. He turns around and eats a Rolling Elbow from Jair which temporarily stuns him. Charging into the ropes behind him, Hopkins rebounds into a fast run only to eat a sick Spinebuster into the canvas! Quagliaterre dabs down to Jair before falling across his chest for the pin attmpt!

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

JOHNSON:”Spinebuster! Spinebuster by Alessandro Quagliaterre after we thought Jair was going to turn the tides of the match in his favor! Here comes the pin attempt by the challenger, are we going to have a new 4CW Pride Champion?”

ONE

.

.

TWO

Jair kicks out of the pin attempt and Alessandro stands up on his knees already frustrated that the match isn’t over in his victory. He stands up grasping the right leg before turning Jair over on his chest to apply the Half Boston Crab! Hopkins finds himself in a bad predicament. Alessandro has the heavier weight and that right leg of his is being put into more pain as seconds go by; Not to mention, he’s trapped in the center of the ring.

“PLEASE DON’T TAP! PLEASE DON’T TAP! PLEASE DON’T TAP!”

JOHNSON:”The Single Leg Boston Crab applied in the center of the ring! Oh, this might be the end of the match. Jair Hopkins has nowhere to go and Alessandro is pulling on that right leg with all his strength involved! “

Jair manages to overpower him and drag both their combined weight to the ropes. He stretches out his hand for the rope break but Alessandro drags him back to the center of the ring. Jair keeps fighting against him then manages to roll over onto his back. He starts up-kicking him in the chest over and over for Ales to let go which he does eventually. Standing up, although putting weight on his left leg, Quagliaterre charges into him and Jair ducks under the thrown clothesline. He quickly leaps onto Ales from behind and applies the Rear Naked Choke!

Alessandro refuses to fall down so he slips back into the turnbuckle crushing Jair between his body and the turnbuckles. The champion lets go and Quagliaterre tries to go after him until Jair kicks him away. The open window allows him to climb all the way to the top rope then leap off forward blasting Ales across the canvas with a Missile Dropkick! He lands down on his back, rolls backwards onto his feet then runs again into the champion trying to get the match back in his favor but gets hauled across his shoulders for Jair to produce the Samoan Drop!

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Please excuse the interruption.

Cutting back to the action. Again, we apologize for the interruption.

VASSA: ”WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!”

JOHNSON: ”Missile Dropkick and the Samoan Drop! We all knew that right leg of Jair is having an issue especially after the Single Leg Boston Crab but that Samoan Drop really did damage to Alessandro Quagliaterre! Here is the pin attempt!”

ONE

.

.

TWO

Alessandro kicks out of the pin attempt leaving Jair Hopkins to continue the offense. He helps his opponent up and whips him over to the corner. There, Jair charges in and uproots his chin with a High Knee in the corner. Suddenly, he takes his arm around his neck, runs through the ropes and attempts the Bulldog until Alessandro lifts him off the mat. Hopkins flips over his shoulder behind him again but runs in the ropes and rebounds back to Superkick him in the head. Alessandro falls back into the ropes, rebounds and knocks out Jair temporarily from the signature, Running Headbutt!

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!”

VASSA: ”The Zidane Headbutt! Holy fucking balls! That was nowhere especially from the Running Superkick! Here comes the pin attempt! Jair has to be outcold!”

ONE

.

.

TWO

.

.

THR–

Jair manages to kick out and Ales sits up on the mat shocked by this! He gets back up off the mat, drags Jair over to the corner where he puts him seated on the top rope. Climbing up to the middle, he attempts the Superplex but Jair starts fighting against it with forearms into the ribs. Alessandro drops off landing on his feet then stuns him with a Heart Punch! He climbs back up onto the middle turnbuckle, locks in the grapple and lands the Superplex in the center of the ring; Quagliaterre rolls over on his feet with Jair in the Suplex position before out of nowhere, Hopkins lifts him up in the Vertical Suplex before spinning down to a seated position for the Spinning Reverse Facebuster!

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

VASSA: ”No! No! No fucking no! The signature Bread N’ Butter Spinning Reverse Facebuster! Jair Hopkins must be on drugs, this is fucking impossible to do! Here is the pin attempt!”

ONE

.

.

TWO

.

.

THR–

Alessandro kicks out and Jair gets back up on his feet before walking over to the corner. He starts stomping down in the corner before climbing up to the top rope. Watching Alessandro get back up, he hesitiates before going for the OMFG! Springboard Double Moonsault. Ales catches him across his shoulders attempting the Go-To-Sleep Bedtime finisher but Jair lifts himself in the air for a quick Hurricanrana! In addition to that, he sits down on the challenger’s chest before transitioning over to the Fujiwara Armbar in the center of the ring!

JOHNSON: ”Both competitors attempted their finishers and neither one managed to successfully hit it. Jair Hopkins currently has Alessandro trapped under him in the Fujiwara Armbar and is torquing back down ont he arm pretty tightly! I think Alessandro just might tap out here!”

No! Quagliterre starts powering himself back up onto his feet before lifting Jair across his shoulders in the Torture Rack. He hops up and down nearly ripping his spine in half until Jair starts elbowing him down behind his head pushing him into the ropes. He slides off, lands on the apron and clocks Ales in the back of his head with another Superkick. This forces Alessandro into the middle of the ring before he climbs all the way to the top rope. He leaps off for the Diving Hurricanrana but Ales catches him in the Powerbomb position before moving into the Alabama Slam. He runs into the nearest corner and destroys his back against the turnbuckles with the signature move!

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!”

VASSA: ”The Alabama Slam! The legendary Alabama Slam signature of Alessandro Quagliaterre! We have a new 4CW Pride Champion for sure! Here is the pin attempt!”

ONE

.

.

TWO

.

.

THR–

Noooo! Jair shoots his body out of the pin attempt after being dragged in the center of the ring. Alessandro stands up, starts beating his chest like he’s the hulk, and holds up Jair’s face to his. He yells at him that he’s going to be the next 4CW Pride Champion and slaps his face a few times. Finally having enough, he drags him across his shoulders for the Go to Sleep but Jair slips off behind him and commits to a Release German Suplex! Ales rolls over onto his knees before being blown backwards Shining Wizard!

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

JOHNSON: ”Release German Suplex and the Shining Wizard! He’s not done yet!”

Jair feels the energy and passion burning through his body. He slowly walks over to the ropes before climbing all the way to it. With him standing on the top rope and watching Jair slowly get up before turning around, Hopkins creates a Shooting Star Press in the air before converting it into a DDT. The signature, Shooting Star DDT, spikes Alessandro on top of his head before Jair sits up covering his ribs. He seems very fatigued but doesn’t decide to get the pin attempt.

Jair ,getting back on his feet, limps all the way down to the corner knowing Alessandro is down in the center of the ring. He stomps down on the canvas then holds onto the top rope with both hands. Leaping onto the top rope, he Springboards backwards in the air committing to a Double Moonsault rotation then driving both his feet into his chest with the Double Footstomp! Alessandro shoots off the canvas completely winded before lying down out of it where Jair capitalizes on the pin attempt!

“Fade Away” by Logic / “Everybody Stay Calm” by Run The Jewels (Champion) plays around the interior of the Toyota Center once again. Jair Hopkins slowly gets up in the center of the ring very happy with his title defense as the referee hands him the 4CW Pride Championship belt and raises his arm in the air. Jair is completely satisfied and proud of his title defense while the referee checks on Alessandro recovering on the canvas.

POWERS: ”Here is your winner and STILL the 4CW Pride Champion, JAIR HHOOPPKKIINNSS!!!”

The cameras are panned backstage when we see a rental car pull up and park. The car sits for a moment before the engine cuts and out steps Bronx Valescence in his best suit and tie. The transformation of these backstage segments is apparent by the way Bronx carries himself now compared when he first won the championship. He takes his bag from the back of the car and the 4CW title sits on top of it as he walks slowly towards the entrance. For a long time he doesn’t speak, until finally he does.

VALESCENCE:”What do I say every time I am faced with a camera in my face? Nothing fucking changes. Let Ana bury me some more like she did in her backstage bit earlier. I’m telling her I’m the best wrestler in the world and win or lose… nothing fucking changes. She’s childish. I’ll wish her the best, and if she wins? Good luck following what I’ve laid down… that’s all…”

And with that, Bronx pushes the camera away and continues to walk towards his dressing room, without another word.

“Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top plays over the arena as the camera pans over the crowd. Directing all attention to the ring, Perry Wallace is seen standing in the center of it dressed in his finest. He has a microphone in hand, slowly pacing the ring as the music slowly begins to fade out.

WALLACE: ”Houston! I’d like to thank each and every one of you for coming out tonight, coming to Retrograde where no one does it better than 4CW. Now, I know you all are probably wondering what I’m doing out here. Hell, I’m wondering that myself when there’s a very special lady in the back that deserves my upmost attention. This won’t take long though, as I have a very important announcement to make.”

Still holding the mic to his lips, he points to the top of the ramp, directly to the big screen above the entrance way.

WALLACE: ”Hit it.”

An image recently seen via social media appears on the screen. It’s an advertisement for the South Beach Brawl Cup, one of two hottest tournaments in the wrestling industry, the other being Bad Company. I said it, deal with it.

WALLACE: ”With South Beach Brawl right around the corner you all know what that brings. It’s tournament season. In fact, it’s time for the only tournament that is even worth a shit today. It was announced that this years tournament would be bigger than those in the past which brings me out here tonight. “

Walking to the ropes, he leans against the top one with one arm, looking out over the crowd.

WALLACE: ”In the past the tournament was held to declare a winner and who would challenge the 4CW Champion at South Beach Brawl. Well, we’re going to kick things up a notch.”

He draws a little excitement from the crowd.

WALLACE: ”The First tournament held was a sixteen person tournament. Then last years was an eight person tournament. Well I’m here to tell you right here, right now, that this years will in fact be a sixteen person tournament featuring the best of the best in 4CW. There is no saying ‘I don’t want to be in it’ or whatever excuse we’ve heard from others in the past. If you’re chosen, you’re in. It’s as simple as that.”

The crowd is still somewhat quiet.

WALLACE: ”Big fucking deal right? Sixteen people. Ooohhhhh We’ve never done that before. But we have, and here’s the kicker. Unlike years past, this years tournament will also have a special spot set aside for the 4CW Champion.”

This news does in fact excite the crowd as the noise level rises.

WALLACE: ”There is no winner faces the champ at South Beach Brawl… well not exactly as in the past. The 4CW Champion, whether that be Bronx or Ana after tonight, will compete in the tournament. Why you ask? It’s simple really. Yes, the tournament has always been about declaring a challenger to face the 4CW Champion. But the South Beach Brawl Cup is so much more than that. It’s about proving without a shadow of a doubt that the winner is indeed the best damn wrestler on the block, period. It’s been rather unfair to not allow the champion to participate in this event but that all comes to an end in two weeks when things kick off.”

He stands up straight, turning his back to that side of the arena and slowly walking to the other side of the ring.

WALLACE: ”So what if the champion advances to the end and wins it all? Will he face him or herself for the championship? The answer to that question is no. The 4CW Championship will be on the line each and every round.”

The crowd cheers even louder.

WALLACE: ”This is about raising the stakes and the level of competition in each and every round. From Adrenaline Eighty-One all the way to South Beach Brawl, you all watching are going to get the highest level of competition out of each and every one of those who compete. It’s as simple as that.”

he stops at the ropes, placing his free hand down onto the top as he leans against it.

WALLACE: ”So from start to finish, the 4CW Championship will be up for grabs. Hell, even the champion after tonight could sweep the entire tournament, adding even more prestige to their name and reign as champion. And not only that…”

Shaking his head from side to side, he pulls his hand away from the rope.

WALLACE: ”Not only that…”

Holding up his index finger, he also shakes that from left to right for a short moment before coming to a stop.

WALLACE: ”The winner of the entire tournament will not only be the 4CW Champion, but they will also walk away with two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, cash money. Dollar, dollar bills, ya’ll.”

Pulling the microphone down from his lips. He holds it out and with his other hand he waves over it over and over, as if he were making it rain money. And with that, he was finished. he dipped through the ropes and left the ring to the tune of “Sharp Dressed Man”.

Immediately following his match, we see Alessandro Quagliaterre walking gingerly backstage. He was banged up good from his Two out of Three Falls Pride Championship match with Jair Hopkins. Gabriel Hartman like a hawk, spotted Alessandro, and quickly rushed up to him with a microphone and cameraman, to get the downlow with Alessandro. Alessandro was not the biggest fan of media personal, and he thought Gabriel Hartman was a hobo, probably because he was.

HARTMAN:“Alessandro. Commiserations are in order. You just lost your first championship match in 4CW, and after a grueling match with Jair Hopkins you are NOT PRIDE CHAMPION!”

Hartman wanted to stress the point by shouting, even though Alessandro was standing right next to him, and in his excitement accidentally speech spit onto Alessandro.

QUAGLIATERRE:“Listen here, Daffy Duck. On what planet, do you think I am going to entertain you right now. How many times have I told you. I don’t do interviews.”

HARTMAN:“But you have too.”

QUAGLIATERRE:“No I don’t.”

HARTMAN:“You’re contractually obligated to do so.”

QUAGLIATERRE:“No I’m not.”

Hartman then pulls out several scrunched up pieces of paper from his back pocket, and unscrunches them, showing it to Alessandro.

HARTMAN:“Look this is the contract that you signed on Adrenaline Eighty for your match with Jair that just happened. It says right here. Alessandro Quagliaterre adheres to one obligatory post-match interview with Gabriel Hartman. Failure to do so will result in fines.”

Alessandro eyes almost popped out, alarmingly having read the document.

QUAGLIATERRE:“How on earth did I miss this.”

Even Hartman was surprised.

HARTMAN:“I know right. You read this line by line, and took about fifteen minutes of air time. How did you miss it?”

Alessandro gave a irritated look to Hartman.

QUAGLIATERRE:“Don’t ask stupid questions. I’ll do your retarded Question and Answer session. But only if there are sensible questions.”

Although Hartman felt it was somewhat of a threat and imposition posed upon him, he accepted Alessandro’s terms.

HARTMAN:“With that out of the way, can you tell me your reactions to having faced Jair Hopkins tonight, and what you feel you accomplished?”

QUAGLIATERRE:“What happened against Jair is irrelevant.”

HARTMAN:“What!?”

Hartman found it to be a strange response as Alessandro just faced Jair.

QUAGLIATERRE:“You want an inside scoop Mr. Hartman. The one takeaway factor you should have learnt about me is regardless win, lose or draw. What happens in that ring happens. And the moment it happens and the bell is ring, I don’t look back at what was, or what could have been. What I do, is look forward. Streamline ahead, to the next obstacle, the next hurdle for me to overcome. Get in the zone, blank everything out, and travel straight. That’s my focus.”

HARTMAN:“Are you for real? You got nothing to react on what went down tonight.”

QUAGLIATERRE:“No. Absolutely Not.”

HARTMAN:“Why?”

QUAGLIATERRE:“Did you not just listen to what I said. Do you need a Q-Tip to clean out your ears from all those cumshots you been taking behind dumpsters?”

Gabriel stumbled for words for a moment, possibly because Alessandro was telling the truth, and possibly because he was so offended by what Alessandro said he was left lost for words trying to formulate a response.

HARTMAN:“That was uncalled for. Please keep this professional.”

QUAGLIATERRE:“I got no problem doing that. But you trigger me with your idiocy I ain’t going to stand here like a Jolly Rancher sucking it up. I will strike back and feelings will get hurt. I go no issue against you but if you get in your feels over what I say, that’s on you, not me.”

Alessandro was heartless and had no empathy for Gabriel Hartman.

HARTMAN:“Why you gotta be a total ass all the time?”

Alessandro shrugged his shoulders.

QUAGLIATERRE:“Don’t Know… To Be Honest. Because I feel like it. I’m Special, Like Tonight’s host.”

HARTMAN:“You mean Spessal.”

Alessandro banged his fist against the wall in frustration.

QUAGLIATERRE:“Don’t get me started on the bad grammar of that phrase.”

HARTMAN:“Alright chill spell check bot.”

Alessandro sulked.

QUAGLIATERRE:“Don’t make fun of my OCD for correct articulation.”

HARTMAN:“Everything that gets said or thrown at you. That’s what causes you to crack you? Bad Spelling.”

Hartman was digging deep here into the psyche of Alessandro Quagliaterre.

QUAGLIATERRE:“Listen, just get on with the interview. You are not my therapist Mr. Hartman.”

HARTMAN:“You can go visit Dr. Patton, the company therapist if you got beans you want to spill.”

Alessandro breathed heavily, frustrated.

QUAGLIATERRE:“You know what Hartman. That might be the best question you’ve asked all night. But unfortunately while Dr. Patton’s door is open to virtually everybody who is in 4CW, you know who it’s shut for? ME! Now Dr. Patton being the good company lady and getting eat out by Mr. Wallace provided a excellent company answer denying this to show her impartiality that her door was always open even for me. But it’s a trap, I see her, I risk pissing off my kids, I risk filling the paranoia of my wife/ex-wife thinking I got some sideman project going on when really I just want answers to the pathological psychopath I have become. So you’re right I do need help, but at the moment that is proving a greater challenge than anything wrestling related.”

HARTMAN:“Alright. What about what happened on Valentine’s Day?”

QUAGLIATERRE:“What do you mean?”

HARTMAN:“Rumors are you went on a date with Carmella Wilder and funky business followed.”

Hartman raised his eyebrows wanting intricate details of what happened. Alessandro however was not entertaining that idea.

QUAGLIATERRE:“No comment. That is a personal matter. I’m not discussing what happens in my life outside of wrestling with you.”

Gabriel put his hands on his hips. Alessandro wanted to strangle him for asking such a provocative question but contained his fury.

HARTMAN:“Ok. Clearly that is a sensitive subject. Back on to wrestling matters, if you don’t want to talk about what happened tonight. What is next for Alessandro Quagliaterre?”

Alessandro smiled, giving Gabriel Hartman a pat on the back.

QUAGLIATERRE:“Finally. On point Mr. Hartman. What is next…?”

He raised his eyebrows, winking pleasantly at Gabriel Hartman.

QUAGLIATERRE:“Right Now… In a few moments time… You’re going to see a Man and a Woman near enough hellbent try to kill each other all in the name of the 4CW Championship. And I will be keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings that are about to follow, as I’m sure will the rest of the 4CW locker room, the backwards folk of a Houston crowd in attendance, and the millions watching at home and around the world.”

He lifted up his hand.

QUAGLIATERRE:“Are you aware of the code I referenced on Adrenaline 78, 79 and 80? ”

HARTMAN:“OH GOD!”

He held up a finger to represent the first date.

QUAGLIATERRE:“04.29.15”

He then held up a second finger, for the second date.

QUAGLIATERRE:“04.27.16”

He then held up a third finger, for the third date.

QUAGLIATERRE:“04.26.17”

He then held up a fourth finger.

QUAGLIATERRE:“04.25.18”

He then held up his thumb.

QUAGLIATERRE:“I added a fifth then a sixth date just because I’m a douche like that. The truth was there was never more than four dates. Because it is all in relation to how I WILL OWN THE NIGHT…”

He paused.

QUAGLIATERRE:“AT SOUTH BEACH BRAWL”

He then lowered his voice.

QUAGLIATERRE:“I’m officially announcing myself as the First Entrant into the South Beach Brawl Cup.”

Hartman got exasperated.

HARTMAN:“You’re not allowed to do that.”

QUAGLIATERRE:“I Just Did. See you Next Adrenaline. Enjoy the Fuckfest between Mr. Valescence and Miss Hayden.”

Alessandro then left on that bombshell leaving Hartman dazzled. The cameras fade away to focus back on the mother of all matches up next.

POWERS: “Ladies and gentlemen.. the moment we’ve all been waiting for. THIS IS THE MAIN EVENT OF THE EVENING!! The following contest is a Caged Ladder Match and is for the 4CW Championship… Introducing first…”

“Word up, son, word, yeah

To all the killers and a hundred dollar billers

For real, niggas who ain’t got no feelings

Check it out now”

The lighting in the building darkens a bit before the opening of “Shook Ones (Part II)” by Mobb Deep starts playing and the crowd begins to boo. As soon as the intro of the song finishes, Anastasia Hayden steps out from the curtains with her mouth guard hanging out. The negative reception doesn’t bother her as she stands at the top of the entrance, surveying the ring and the crowd before she pops the mouth guard back in and starts making her way down to the ring.

”I got you stuck off the realness, we be the infamous

You heard of us, official Queensbridge murderers

The Mobb comes equipped for warfare, beware

Of my crime family who got ‘nough shots to share”

POWERS: “Making her way to the ring, hailing from Steele, North Dakota…weighing in at one hundred twenty-eight pounds…she is the ‘GRAND DUCHESS’…ANASTASIA HHAAYYDDEENN!!!”

”Rock you in your face, stab your brain with your nose bone

You all alone in these streets, cousin

Every man for they self in this land we be gunnin’

And keep them shook crews runnin’, like they supposed to

They come around, but they never come close to”

The announcement of her name only draws out more boos toward Ana. She brushes them off as she leaps up to the apron and climbs through the ropes into the ring. Ana finds a free corner in the ring and walks toward it, perching herself on the top turnbuckle, and popping her mouth guard out again as she waits for the match to begin.

JOHNSON: “You’d never know this might be the biggest match of her career just by looking at her, Vinny. But having watched Ana for long enough now I think we an safely say that she knows what she’s in for.”

VASSA: “Can you ever really know what you’re in for when you’re main eventing a Four See Dub pay per view, though?”

JOHNSON: “She’s no stranger to big matches, Vinny. And she looks ready to go if you ask me.”

VASSA: “Just give me Bronx and lets get things going already.”

The “Stranger Things” intro starts to kick over the house speakers as the fans give their initial pop when smoke begins to fill the stage. As the remix to “Starboy” kicks in, Bronx slowly makes his way out on stage. Pausing in the middle of the stage, he turns sideways and points a finger gun towards the ring before he pulls the trigger and gives a loud, audible laugh before he pulls his ring jacket back to reveal the 4CW Championship around his waist, he continues down the ramp, a smug grin on his face as he slaps hands with hands on either side of the ramp, occasionally pointing at the belt and talking trash.

POWERS: “Making his way to the ring from Portland, Oregon, weighing in at two hundred and five pounds…He is the REIGNING… DEFENDING… 4CW CHAMPION… BRONX VVAALLEESSCCEENNCCEE!!!”

When Bronx gets down to the end of the ramp, he uses one leap onto the ring apron, and then spins around, holding onto the ropes before rising his feet on the apron and walking over to his corner and using the ropes to vault into the ring. Pulling his title belt off with one hand, he opens his arms out to either side he spins until he bounces into the ropes and poses one time for the fans before smirking and removing his ring jacket and sunglasses, neatly placing them underneath his corner turnbuckle before leaping onto the top turnbuckle to sit, waiting for the referee to come over and take his title.

JOHNSON: “This is it, Vinny. The moment we’ve been waiting for for god knows how many months now!”

VASSA: “I’m so excited! I’M SO FUCKING EXCITED! Ana doesn’t look like she cares one bit at all BUT I AM EXCITED!”

JOHNSON: “Well in truth Ana always looks a bit apathetic but I think you speak for every wrestling fan in the world when you say you’re excited. And what a way to finish our night off.”

JOHNSON: “For sure, Vinny, and I think in most circumstances you’d give the advantage to the reigning champion but maybe not in this one.”

VASSA: “Not in this one at all. Ana Hayden is Bronx’s white whale. She holds a singles victory over him and you know that match has been haunting Bronx ever since.”

JOHNSON: “No doubt about it. When people talk about the reign of Bronx Valescence over 4CW for essentially the past year it always comes back to Ana.”

VASSA: “Rightfully so, too. Like you said she’s got that singles victory over Bronx but more importantly it’s a loss that Bronx hasn’t been able to go back and redeem himself from yet.”

JOHNSON: “Exactly. Mariano Fernandez shocked the world by upsetting Bronx and becoming the 4CW Champion but Bronx was able to go back and redeem himself at Fright Night in that hellacious I Quit match.”

VASSA: “It was a match that changed both men, undoubtedly. And if you ask me, tonight might end up being one of those matches that we look back and we say the trajectory of both of these competitors careers was changed by it.”

JOHNSON: “It happened last year when Eli took that death defying leap from the top of the cage to stop Scott Stevens from pulling off the upset victory. And while Eli has left us for other trampolines, has anyone even heard of Scott Stevens since then?”

VASSA: “Wasn’t there someone in history that said he must increase and i must decrease?”

JOHNSON: “Are you quoting the Bible, Vinny?”

VASSA: “Not on purpose but if that’s where it’s from well it might just be relevant to this match. Wrestlings own Jesus, the one true Messiah and not the forty thousand other imitations, Bronx Valescence takes on the demon that has been hounding him for months now, Anastasia Hayden. Who will increase? Who will decrease? I don’t know but i’m ready for it. And I know you are too.. LETS FUCKING GET IT!”

While Bronx and Ana go through the typical motions just before a match begins, the cage slowly settles down around the ring. Before the door is locked a ladder is slid into the ring and is left laying just under the bottom rope on one side of the ring. The referee then retrieves the 4CW Championship from the champion and walks it across the ring to display it to the challenger but Ana never breaks the stare she has locked in on her opponent. A moment later the referee moved back to the center of the ring and hooked the championship onto the long wire that dangled down from the rafters and soon after the belt was raised high above their heads, even with the top of the cage. With all of the formalities, the pomp and the circumstance complete, the referee checks with each competitor one more time before waving his hand to signal for the bell to begin the match.

DING!!! DING!!!

When the bell sounds there’s no slow burn to get things started. No trash talk between the champion and the challenger. No circling of the ring trying to size one another up. Immediately they’re out of the corners and meeting in the middle of the ring where they begin to exchange strikes. Bronx throws a right and connects. Ana responds with a right hand of her own that connects. The champion retaliates! The challenger responds against! Back and forth they go until Bronx grabs the momentum of the match by feigning with his right hand, booting Ana in the stomach a second later causing her to double over. He quickly grabs a handful of hair and begins to drag her over toward the cage but when he pulls her head back to slam it into the steel bars he hesitates just for a split second. That split second is all Ana needs to drive her elbow straight into his mouth, spinning free of his grasp to wrap her other arm around his head a moment later and drive him down to the mat with a ddt.

JOHNSON: “Is it me or was there a moment just now that the champion hesitated.”

VASSA: “I think you’re seeing things, Steve. Old age must be rough.”

There was no hesitation on Ana’s part that much is for sure as she hauls Bronx back up to his feet and whips him over into the nearby corner, following up with a hard chop to the chest a split second after he settles against the turnbuckle pads. Latching onto his arm, the challenger whips the champion across the ring into the other corner, following up closely behind with another chop to Bronx’s chest. She repeats the process a third time, connecting with the chop before grabbing each of his wrists and dropping to her back, placing her feet against his abdomen before monkey flipping him over into the center of the ring. As he slams down onto the canvas, Ana spins and scrambles over to him and mounts him, which the crowd cheers for (or maybe that was just Eli backstage cheering for them and hoping they were going to fuck in the ring like they’re Edge and Lita), delivering hard rights and lefts to the temples of the 4CW Champion.

Awkwardly the ref stands there watching Ana beat Bronx sort of like the all of those bystanders stood and watched as certain police officers beat and choked Eric Garner. The look on his face makes it clear he feels like he should step in but really there’s nothing that he could do. The apathetic expression that had filled Ana’s face before the match had begun was gone now and was replaced by one of bitterness, frustration and anger as she tore into the champion, determined to make a statement. Finally tiring of just punching him over and over again, Ana pulls him back up to his feet and latches onto the back of his head where she pulls him forward and downward, while at the same time bringing her knee up to smash straight into his face. And then another knee lands. And another. And another before finally Ana releases him. The camera crew gets a close shot of the face of Bronx Valescence and instantly it’s clear he’s a lot worse for wear already. Blood trickles from his nose. His eyes have the same sort of far off stare that you might find in a troubled veteran of the Vietnam war. Bronx’s legs wobble slightly and he starts to tumble to the canvas but Ana quickly moves behind him and catches him, wrapping him up into a full nelson position before connecting with a dragon suplex. Normally she would bridge it into a pinning predicament but in a caged ladder match there’s no point and she’s smart enough to know that.

Rolling back up to her feet, Ana confidently approaches the fallen champion and bends down, slapping him across the face and beckoning him to get back up. It wasn’t like she needed to ask, though, as he was already working on rolling over onto his hands and knees. With a shake of her head Ana steps over Bronx, straddling him in a standing position as he starts to crawl over toward the ropes. Before he can get there she leaps and drives both of her knees down directly into his spine, flattening him out. Again he starts to push himself back up to his hands and knees and again he receives a swat to the back of his head with Ana’s open palm. Crawling another few inches forward, Ana lets Bronx reach out and grab onto the ropes and pull himself up but when he gets back to a standing position, albeit with the support of his arms leaning heavily on the ropes, she grabs him by the his curly locks of hair and slams him face first into the steel cage with no hesitation whatsoever.

Backing away, Ana gives Bronx the space to turn around but as he does so she dashes across the ring to rebound off the ropes. When she’s close enough to the champion once again she leaps and thrusts her feet out in front of her, catching him with a front dropkick that buckles him in half and causes him to crumble through he ropes and slam into the cage. As he collapses he ends up in an awkward seated position, leaning against the cage with one foot held up on the bottom rope and the other folded underneath him. In the meantime Ana shoots a glance at the ladder, which happened to be laying in the exact same position that it had been left in before the match and even begun. She doesn’t seem to give any thought to using it, at least not at this point, and instead backs away only to take off in Bronx’s direction again. Once she’s close enough she slides and cracks a forearm right off of Bronx’s forehead, smashing it between her and the steel cage.

JOHNSON: “Jesus Christ! Human Target Practice on Bronx!”

VASSA: “Did you hear the sound of Bronx’s skull as it bashed off the cage?”

JOHNSON: “Unpleasant to say the least. This one has been all Ana Hayden in the early going, folks, and she’s not showing any signs of stopping anytime soon.”

VASSA: “It’s not over yet. Bronx will find a way back into this thing. Trust me.”

Latching onto the legs of the champion, Ana pulls him back from against the cage and into the middle of the ring where she quickly stomps him a few times just for the hell of it. She then backs up a few steps before stepping swiftly toward him, leaping and dropping a high knee drop right across his sternum. Clutching his chest, Bronx writhes in agony and his reaction seems to give Ana an idea as she once again returns to a standing position. Not bothering to look at the ladder or the championship, Ana instead turns her attention to the top of the steel cage. She then looks back at Bronx and for a moment seems to be doing some calculations in her own mind. The challenger then placed two more stomps to the ribs of the champion before turning and heading toward the cage. What exactly it is she has planned is anyone’s guest but the fans rumble and begin to buzz with anticipation and she uses the ropes to begin her ascent. Escaping the cage won’t do her any good, of course. Only ripping the 4CW Championship off its hook will bring an end to the match but Ana seems substantially more interested in dolling out punishment to Bronx than she is in actually claiming the title. And so she climbs. Step after step, as Bronx begins to roll over and push himself back up.

For whatever reason it never seems like people can climb up the side of a steel cage anywhere near as quickly as they can a ladder, and that holds true for Ana as she makes certain she has solid footing before pushing herself up and trying to take the next step toward the top of the cage. Whatever her plan is, though, it needs to unfold quickly as Bronx find his way up to a kneeling position, and his eyes catch a glimpse of where Ana is going. Over her shoulder she looks as well and for a moment the two make eye contact. Suddenly there’s urgency in Ana’s climb as Bronx starts to gather a second wind. She steps up another rung just as Bronx pushes himself up to his feet and hustles over to the ropes. Things have suddenly taken a turn and the crowd, that was buzzing only moments earlier, is now on their feet anticipating the outcome of the situation that Ana now found herself in. Just as she was almost to the top, Bronx managed to reach her. Wrapping both of his arms around her waist, the crowd pops loudly as Bronx leans back and uses his weight to pry her grip free from the top of the cage and the two come crashing back down into the ring!

The bodies of the champion and the challenger remain motionless in the ring after the huge german suplex that brought Ana back into the ring connect with full force. All around the arena the fans are losing their minds. Hell, even at the commentator Steve Johnson and Vinny Vassa can’t believe what they’ve seen.

JOHNSON: “No hesitation at all on the part of the champion there.”

VASSA: “I told you he’d find a way to get back into this match, Steve!”

JOHNSON: “I wouldn’t say he’s back into the match just yet, Vinny. I’m not even sure he’s alive.”

VASSA: “I don’t know but what I do know is that what the fans just witnessed will continue to be seen in the days, weeks and months to come. You folks don’t have to worry about the production crew coming in and editing shit after the fact!”

Both begin to stir at just about the same time, with Ana rolling away and Bronx pushing himself up to a seated position before scooting back into the nearby corner. Big, heaving breaths of air coming into and out of his lungs cause his chest to rise and falls as he uses the middle ropes to start to pull himself back up until he’s finally back fully up to his feet, resting against the turnbuckle pads in his corner. A few short moments later Ana finds herself back up and standing in the middle of the ring. Her eyes search momentarily for Bronx before she turns. She does so just in time to see the boot of Bronx Valescence aimed straight at her face where it connects with a resounding thud that snaps her head to the side. For a split second Ana’s legs give out from under her but she manages to catch herself and keep from collapsing to the canvas. Turning back to face the champion, Ana is caught by Bronx grabbing her by her ears and slamming his head straight forward into hers. Stumbling back a few steps, Ana steadies herself yet again, determined to stand her ground. He repays her determination with a quick spinning backfist and follows it up with a european uppercut that lifts Ana off the crowd and sends her flying back into the corner turnbuckle pads.

The impact seems to snap her back to life, however, as she fires out of the corner with a brutal forearm that dazes Bronx for half a moment. Backing away from him she fires out of the corner a second time and this time connects with a european uppercut of her own, of the running variety, that stumbles Bronx back a few more steps. Another running european uppercut connects from the champion and he bounces off the opposite corners turnbuckle pads and drops down to a seated position. Fatigue already is evident in Bronx’s face and there’s a long way to go still if he’s going to be walking out of Retrograde as the 4CW Champion. Ana, however, continues to show no interest in going for the title as she sprints across the ring and hits a corner dropkick to the seated Bronx Valescence. A smattering of boo’s begin to be heard from a few of the die hard Bronxy V fans around the building. While there have been a few bursts of life from the champion, unquestionably it has been Ana up to this point who has been in control for the majority of the match.

When Ana closes to pull Bronx out of the corner, he retaliates with a kick to her knee, causing her to drop awkwardly down. Following that up, Bronx pulls his foot back and kicks Ana squarely in the jaw, knocking her back onto her backside. Bronx pulls himself up with the help of the ropes as quickly as he can and he rises in unison with Ana, who charges forward to try and catch him off guard. Valescence scoots out of the way at the last second, though, and leaves Ana to run full force into the turnbuckle pads. When she bounces off he spins her around and quickly props her up to a seated position on the top rope. Locking his arms around her and launching her over head with a big avalanche belly to belly suplex!

JOHNSON: “Massively important sequence of events there for Bronx.”

VASSA: “I told you, Steve. You can start to count Bronx out but he always finds a way to fight his way back into things.”

JOHNSON: “And now look at Ana getting up gingerly. That big belly to belly suplex off of the top rope, after having absorbed a huge tweet delete off the side of the cage minutes earlier. Those are the kind of high impact moves that really shape a big match like this one as it progresses.”

Back standing in a hurry, Bronx holds out his hand and aims a finger gun at Ana, firing it as she started to push herself back up. Swiftly Bronx swooped in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and then rushing her forward into the corner. The two roll over backward but Bronx hangs on somehow! He hits a massive german suplex with a momentary bridge. FOR ANA! Releasing her a split second later, Bronx grabs her by the hair and stands her back up. On woozy legs she stumbles a bit as Bronx backs up and cracks her with a super kick straight to the jaw and down she goes. And finally. FINALLY… his eyes go to the ladder nearby. Heaving a deep breath of air into his lungs, Bronx moves and pulls the ladder out from where it had been resting under one of the bottom ropes up until that point.

VASSA: “About time someone used that ladder. I was starting to think both of them had forgotten this is a ladder match.”

But Bronx doesn’t move the ladder very far. Instead he just pulls it out a few inches, leaving it laying down, but opens it up where it’s at. His attention then turns back to Ana, who had rolled onto her side but was nowhere near being ready to start defending herself again just yet. So the champions eyes dart back to the ladder and a pained expression fills his eyes.

JOHNSON: “There’s that hesitation again from Bronx. I don’t know what’s going through his mind right now but clearly he’s battling something inside of himself.”

VASSA: “I won’t speak for the greatest champion that 4CW has ever seen, but maybe consider all that he’s had to do just to get where he’s at. What did he have to do to Eli at South Beach Brawl to finally win the championship? What did he have to do to Manny to get it back?”

JOHNSON: “And what is he going to have to do to his friend in order to retain tonight? I don’t often say this Vinny… but hell of an observation there.”

Glancing upward, his eyes catch the gleaming gold of the 4CW Championship and he sighs, shaking his head before moving back over to Ana and dragging her over to the ladder. He drapes her across it and positions her head in the center of it before backing away.

VASSA: “Oh my god… what’s he about to do now though?”

JOHNSON: “I think this is what was waging war in his mind, Vinny. Just how far is he going to have to go to keep what he’s fought so hard to have!?”

In a flash, Bronx takes off and bounces of the ropes, coming back toward the ladder and Ana at full speed before hitting a running front dropkick right into the ladder. As his feet connect with the metal, the ladder slams shut against the side of Ana’s head. But Bronx isn’t done! Getting back up to his feet he runs and rebounds off the ropes a second time and repeats the same process, hitting a running front drop kick to the ladder again, trapping Ana’s head between either side of the ladder couldn’t go anywhere because it was caught against the side of the cage. And then Bronx gets back up to his feet again and hits the ropes once more, connecting on a third running dropkick.

VASSA: “JESUS CHRIST ON A CRACKER!”

Without delay, Bronx sits up and then pushes himself back up where he then pulls Ana out of where he had positioned her. Briefly he checks the ladder to see if there was any damage to it and though it’s a bit on the bent side, it’s still functional. Turning back to Ana as he drags her back upright, a trickle of blood trails down the center of her forehead from a small cut opened up from the impact of her head being caught between two sides of the ladder. Running to the ropes as Ana tries to hold her own weight up, Bronx springboards and flips, catching Ana with a springboard block buster. Instinctively he runs to the corner nearby and leaps, hitting a split legged moonsault that flips him over and slams him straight down across the upper torso of his opponent. Now he’s beginning to feel it and a smile forms on Bronx’s face as he pumps his hands up and down while climbing back up to his feet with he momentum of the match having swung finally in his favor.

Bouncing off the ropes, Bronx runs and hits his first running knee drop onto the challenger, rolls through and back up to his feet where he rebounds off the opposite ropes, comes back and hits another running knee drop. Again he rolls through and rebounds off the ropes hitting a third consecutive running knee drop. Kneeling, Bronx grabs a hand full of Ana’s hair and then uses his free hand to pummel a clinched fist right into the small gash on her forehead, opening up a bit more so that the trickle of blood began to become a bit more of a steady stream. Again, Bronx pulls her back up to her feet. Not letting her have a moments reprieve before firing her across the ring with all the momentum he could muster putting into his irish whip. The force with which he sent her running across the ring caused him to fall forward and as Ana slammed into the pads and then stumbled forward out of the corner, Bronx scrambled back to his feet and charged at her, connecting with a shotgun drop kick that sent her flying back into the corner yet again.

Again Ana stumbles forward out of the corner, somehow still managing to stay on her feet. That is until Bronx once more came running at her full speed and connecting with a running single leg drop kick that fully flattened Ana down to the canvas where she lay still as Bronx rolled over onto his stomach, his eyes staring directly at her for a long moment before he bounced back up to his feet, adrenaline surely fueling him at this point more than anything else.

JOHNSON: “Correct me if I’m wrong, Vinny. But isn’t that one of Ana’s finishing maneuvers that Bronx just hit her with.”

VASSA: “She was only seventeen! I think so. And if it was… ohhhhh boy did shit just get real.”

Gauging the situation, Bronx pushes himself back up and stomps hard on Ana’s wrist as she lay there recovering. A groan escapes her as Bronx moved then to stomp on her left knee, and then her left ankle. As she shifted to try and protect herself, Bronx then focused his attention on her other side, stomping on her right ankle, her right knee and then finally her right wrist with the old Garvin stomp! Tucking her wrists to her chest, Ana rolled over onto her stomach defensively but as she did so Bronx was quick to leap into the air and come down with a brutal double stomp right to the Ana’s spine and instinctively her hand shot out from underneath her to clutch the spot on her back where Bronx had just attacked.

Nodding his head, Bronx got back up and moved to pick up the ladder and potentially ascend it and take the 4CW Championship back into his possession. But as he was going to do that his eyes caught a sign in the crowd that drew his attention, rage filling his expression as he read each word.

PISSBOY
B R O N X

The camera zooms in on the fan holding up the sign and the face looks awfully familiar.

JOHNSON: “Is that…. is that James Edwards?!”

VASSA: “It sure as shit looks like him. Who does he think he is?”

JOHNSON: “I don’t know but it looks like he’s calling Bronx a piss boy again and we all remember what happened the last time!”

Whether or not it’s actually James Edwards in the crowd is a mystery that will likely never be solved but the effect it has on Bronx is clear as he starts to shake violently. His curly locks of hair bouncing everywhere. His fat little cheeks wobbling, spittle and slobber spilling out of his mouth as rage pulses through his whole body. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for the fans), Bronx isn’t able to deactivate himself from life. BUT ANA SURE TRIES TO HELP HIM! Out of nowhere she spins him around and catches him with Wolf Down! The hurricanrana driver drives his head straight down into the ladder that he was just about to pick up!

Reeling back, Bronx falls onto his backside clutching at his forehead as Ana takes a second to catch her breath and try to shake the haze that had fallen over her away. Looking down at his hand, Bronx sees a shade of red liquid that can only be blood and immediately his eyes go wide as he looks upward giving the camera a clear shot of the open wound on his head from the signature maneuver Ana had just hit him with. As he sits there with his mind a bit of a fog, Ana uses the opportunity to drive him down to the mat with another seated dropkick. Pulling him up a moment later, Ana drives her own headbutt right into his skull, their blood mingling and smearing as she does so. Taking a few steps back, Bronx shakes his head to try and free the cobwebs as Ana takes off toward the ropes, spring boarding and catching Bronx’s arm, taking him down with an arm drag. Flipping, he lands back first on the canvas but quickly pops up to his feet and as Ana charges at him he catches her, swings her around to his side, and drops her back first across the ladder that still had yet to be picked up and set up in the ring.

And yet again things slow down as Ana writhes from the side slam across the ladder, and Bronx still works to regain his bearings after having his head bounced off the ladder.

JOHNSON: “Big side slam from Bronx there to halt Ana’s momentum.”

VASSA: “You think it’s odd neither of them have really made any attempt to get that championship yet?”

JOHNSON: “I don’t know that I would call it odd. These are both veteran wrestlers who understand that a match of this magnitude takes everything you’ve got to keep your opponent down.”

VASSA: “I just get the feeling there’s more to it than that. It’s a ladder match without the damn ladder. At least they’re not gonna fuck up my drink holder like those assholes did at Fright Night. But damn… use the fuckin’ ladder. It’s there for a reason.”

JOHNSON: “Well… I wouldn’t say they haven’t used the ladder.”

VASSA: “IT’S STILL LAYING ON THE FUCKING MAT STEVE”

JOHNSON: “Right but Bronx had his head spiked off of it. Ana had hers smashed in between it.”

Rolling over, Bronx blasts Ana with a number of strikes to the temple and then snaps off a leg drop to her across the ladder where she still rested. Rolling away after the leg drop, Bronx used the ropes to assist himself back up and then spotted his patented sunglasses across the ring where he had left them before the match had begun. With the back of his hand he wiped some of the blood, that was now dripping down off of his eyebrows and into his frame of sight, away. Rubbing that hand off on the side of his leg, Bronx hustled over and knelt down where he picked up his glasses. Holding them up for the fans to see, and then yet again pointing a finger gun at Ana and firing it, everyone in the arena knew what was coming and once more were on their feet with their phones out waiting to photograph what was about to happen.

Using the top rope, Bronx vaulted up to the top and steadied himself there before standing up straight on the top turnbuckle. Yet again he held the glasses up in the air as the fans chanted “YES” over and over again as he slowly brought them down and placed them on perfectly. Turning around, he held he steadied himself using the cage and then in one swift motion he leapt. TRUE LIGHTS FLIGHT! Flipping and corkscrewing in the air, Bronx Valescence body soared as the flashes of cell phone camera’s around the building burst to life.

CCCCRRRRAAAAAASSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!

As his body plummeted back down toward the mat, gravity having its effect, Ana rolled off of the ladder at the last second and Bronx crashed down onto it brutally, his ribs absorbing the worst of the impact.

JOHNSON: “TRUE LIGHTS FLIGHT MISSED! ANA ROLLED OUT OF THE WAY!”

Exhaustion beginning to paint the faces of both competitors as Ana, with a look of annoyance on her face, crawled to the corner and pulled herself back up to her feet while Bronx laid clutching his ribs in misery across the ladder that still had not been stood upright once in the entirety of the match to that point. Snarling, Ana managed to set her bearings and once again focus her assault on the 4CW Champion and the man she had considered one of her closest friends for quite some time now. Relentlessly she connected with a high knee drop to the sternum of Bronx Valescence, squashing him between the weight of her body and the ladder which refused to give way. As Ana stood once more, Bronx rolled over onto his stomach trying to protect himself from the stomps that he knew were coming. And did they ever. The first one was directed as his temple and he was able to defend against it. The second, again unable to be defended, connected with his ribs. The third was aimed for his temple once more and he managed to get a hand up to block it but received an open handed slap for his efforts.

Bitterness pulsed through Ana’s veins as she dropped to a knee and hooked her arm around the champions neck. Rocking back she locked in a guillotine choke deeply, strangling the life out of Bronx as she did so. It was the best option if he was going to refuse to stay down. If he was going to keep getting up over and over again, and keep fighting, then she would simply cut off his air supply, put him to sleep and be done with it. And that all would have worked out perfectly if she wouldn’t have spotted the sunglasses that he had put on a few minutes earlier when he had taken the death defying leap from the top rope that had resulted in him landing flush on the ladder. He’d shown off. He’d gotten cocky and he’d paid for it. But not enough. Now she was going to make him pay even more.

VASSA: “Oh God. Steve. What is she doing?”

JOHNSON: “I’m not sure… but it looks like…”

VASSA: “No way. She can’t actually be considering doing that. Does she even know HOW to do that?!”

The question of if she knew how would be answered soon enough but the intent in Ana’s eyes was clear. Leaving Bronx laying across the ladder, he rolled over onto his back once more and groaned miserably. Meanwhile Ana strutted over to where the glasses lay, bent a bit haphazardly after flying from Bronx’s face and tumbling across the ring, and plucked them off the ground. Methodically she moved to the corner nearest to her and pulled herself up to the top rope. From there she paused and held up the sunglasses for the fans to see, a larger section booing her now than had existed earlier, just before she draped them over her face. Turning around, she steadied herself much like Bronx had done in using the cage. And then without hesitation she launched herself from the top rope, answering the question of whether or not she knew how to execute Bronx’s own move.

CCCLLLLAAAAAANNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG!!!

And unlike when Bronx had gone for it, nobody rolled out of the way as ana flipped and spun, eventually crashing down across the body of her opponent sending the fans into an absolute frenzy, including the commentators at ring side.

“HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!”

JOHNSON: “She did it!”

VASSA: “No fucking way…”

JOHNSON: “Anastasia Hayden, with the 4CW Champions own sunglasses adorning her face, just hit True Lights Flight on him!”

VASSA: “But there’s no pinfalls, Steve. It doesn’t matter what she just hit. She still has to set up the ladder, and climb to the top and get the damn title down. In any other situation we’d be hailing a new 4CW Champion right this very moment but she’s only halfway there!”

JOHNSON: “But she hit it with Bronx laying across that ladder. She might have broken him in half but right now she’s got all the time in the world. Hell, Vinny. You could set it up and climb to the top of that ladder right now without him stopping you.”

Rolling off of Bronx, Ana clutches her own sides as the high risk maneuver did a number on her even if it wasn’t to the same degree that it had the champion. With one hand she shoved the lifeless body of Bronx Valescence away from the ladder and then pushed herself back up to her feet. Bending over, she picks the ladder up and then looks up at the 4CW Championship hanging high above the ring. Turning back to Bronx she shouts at him that she’s going to take his title now but he doesn’t move or protest at all. And so Ana moves to set the ladder up directly under where the championship hangs. Placing both sides down on their legs, she opened the ladder up and locks the support bars in place. Before she begins her climb she tests out the ladder by placing one foot on the bottom rung, testing it to make sure it wasn’t going to give way after all the abuse it had taken just laying on its side up to that point in the match. Confident that it wasn’t going to give way at all, Ana begins to climb up the ladder. One step and then another. As she does so a section of fans a few rows back from the front row begin to chant her name over and over again.

“ANNNNNNNNNAAAAAA!!! ANNNNNNNNAAAAAAA!!! ANNNNNNNAAAAAAAA!!!

She ignores them for a moment until she sees a sign with a giant picture of her and her ex boyfriend, Bryan Williams, kissing on it. Her expression twists into a mixture of confusion and irritation until she reads the words on it.

HOW DID
TATE TROY’S
PUSSY TASTE?

JOHNSON: “Well that’s 4CW fans for you there. Never passing up an opportunity to run a joke even further into the ground.”

For a second it looks as though Ana is going to snap and lay into the fans who were holding up the sign and chanting her name but instead she shrugs and says “I’ll tell you after I take Bronx’s championship from him,” and once more begins her climb up the ladder. But was the temporary distraction and delay going to cost her as the 4CW champion now began to stir a few feet away from where she was. His movement doesn’t go unnoticed by Ana who, instead of continuing her climb up the ladder, hops back down and moves over to place a few stomps to his torso once more before returning to the ladder.

She moves a bit more quickly climbing it, this time, though. One rung after another she ascends but slips halfway up and has to steady herself. Again she shoots her gaze in Bronx’s direction and sees he’s moving but instead of jumping down to go after him again she just keeps climbing. Reaching up her hand comes a few feet short of being able to grasp the glittering gold in her hands and tear it free from its hook.

JOHNSON: “Just another rung or two and we’ll have a new 4CW Champion. Ana Hayden is almost there!”

VASSA: “But here comes Bronx!”

Here comes Bronx indeed. As Ana steps up one more rung and reaches, her fingertips grazing the title, Bronx rushed over to the ladder and climbed up as quickly as he could, managing to reach the same rung as Ana had made it to and block her arm just before she could grasp the title and pull it free. Furious, Ana used her other hand to blast Bronx in the face with a closed fisted punch. Bronx responded with a headbutt that nearly knocked Ana down from the ladder. Catching the top of the ladder, she managed to not only stop herself from falling but also to use it to pull herself back toward Bronx, firing a forearm directly to his face that sent Bronx reeling and nearly sent him flying from the ladder as well.

JOHNSON: “Jesus Christ someone isn’t staying on that ladder. Is it going to be Bronx or Ana who goes tumbling down to the canvas along with their dreams of leaving Retrograde as the 4CW Champion?!”

Much like Ana had done, Bronx used the top of the ladder to save himself, holding onto it for dear life as Ana reached for the title. Quickly he pulled himself back and cut her off yet again. With her left hand she swung to take his head off but Bronx blocked the punch and then with his right hand reached up and grasped the title. But instead of pulling it free he pulled it back and without hesitation drove it forward directly into Ana’s face. The impact of the title colliding with her knocked her backward and as her hands desperately reached out to grab hold of the ladder, her fingers slipped off of the steel and a look of horror passed through both her expression and Bronx’s as she tumbled backward. Jaw dropping, Bronx watched on and reached on instinctively to catch his friend and keep her from falling but was unable to do so. Instead of falling all the way down to the mat freely, however, her leg gets hung up in the ladder and the weight and momentum of her tumbling backwards, and then swinging off to the side as her leg catches her, pulls the entire ladder down. She, along with the steel ladder, crash loudly down to the mat. Bronx, moving on pure instinct, leapt from the ladder and threw himself at the cage, his fingers grasping the cold steel and the whole structure shook on impact.

VASSA: “OH MY GOD BRONX SURVIVVED THAT!!!”

JOHNSON: “That was an ugly fall for Ana Hay-… no… wait…”

VASSA: “How the hell is she still moving!?”

From under the wreckage of the fallen ladder, the camera spots Ana using the leg that hadn’t been trapped to kick the ladder free and untrap her leg. How the hell she’s moving after a fall like that is anyones guess. Pure adrenaline, maybe. Sheer will power perhaps. Regardless, Ana pushes herself up to her feet as Bronx clings to the side of the cage, surveying the scene. Before he can descend, Ana starts to pull herself up. Thrusting his foot in her direction, Bronx tries to kick her back down but Ana swats his foot away and climbs up further onto the cage. Soon enough the champion and the challenger are at level height, throwing awkward punches at each other. Reaching out, Bronx grabs Ana by the back of her head and slams her face into the side of the cage, not showing any of the hesitation that he had earlier in the match. With one hand Ana manages to hold on as she reels back, before pulling herself back and grabbing onto the side of the cage again.

Bronx again tries to grab her by the back of the head but she catches him in the jaw with a hard punch, halting that attempt before climbing a bit further up onto the cage. The fans, unsure of what she’s doing, begin to buzz a bit as even Bronx looks at her curiously. By the time he realizes what she’s doing it’s far to late. Pushing herself up just a bit higher onto the side of the structure, Ana suddenly throws herself toward Bronx before he can get his hands up to shield himself. Leaping onto his back, her legs catch latch onto his shoulders and then tighten down around his neck as she leans back, prying him from the cage!

JOHNSON: “BLACK STAR! BLACK STAR! BLACK STAR OFF THE SIDE OF THE CAGE! BY GOD ANA HAYDEN HAS JUST KILLED THEM BOTH!”

Maybe on a normal night that would have been true but after lying motionless on the canvas for a few moments both Ana and Bronx begin to stir. Though, admittedly, Ana looks a bit more lively as she rolls over and uses the ropes to help herself back up. Shouting at Bronx to just stay down, Ana stumbles across the ring and latches onto the ladder, setting it back up right. It takes her a few moments to get it in the position that she wants to get it in but there’s a championship to be won now. No longer is it about inflicting as much pain and destruction onto ones opponent. Enough of that had been done to each other. Now it was about survival. Now it was about legacy. Now it was about walking out of Retrograde with a championship belt in tow. And with the ladder finally in place where she wants it, Ana begins the climb to fulfilling that dream. To overcoming the greatest showman 4CW had ever known, and making that moniker her own.

As she starts to climb, Bronx manages to crawl over to the base of the ladder and pull himself up, catching her by the ankle. She manages to kick free of his grasp and continue her climb but she only gets one step further before again Bronx latches onto her ankle. Kicking at him once again, Bronx holds on this time and with all the energy he can muster jerks on her leg. As he does so Slips and her face bounces off the rung of the ladder, splitting her lip wide open. In the mean time Bronx grabs onto the side of the ladder and uses it to steady himself, moving around to the other side where he begins to climb upward himself.

Ana spots him half a second later and follows suit, once again climbing upward with blood dried to her forehead and her lip split wide open and bleeding now. In unison she and Bronx climb, slowly, toward the top of the ladder where the coveted 4CW title dangles teasingly above their heads.

VASSA: “I CAN’T WATCH!”

The two reach the top at the exact same moment and trade strikes. Bronx with a right hand.

JOHNSON: “THERE GOES HAY-… NO SHE HANGS ON!”

Ana fires back with her own right hand.

VASSA: “NOOOOOO! OH MY GOD BRONX HOLDS ON AS WELL!”

Pulling himself back to safety, Bronx fires another shot into Ana’s temple sending her reeling back but her grasp on the ladder prevents her from falling once more. When she pulls herself back and throws her punch at Bronx, he blocks it! But instead of retaliating he climbs up to the very next rung.

VASSA: “HOLY SHIT! HOLY FUCKING SHIT! VALESCENCE VICTORY FROM THE TOP OF THE LADDER!”

It’s sheer pandemonium as the bodies of the two individuals lie motionless on the canvas at the base of the ladder. The fans, reaching ear drum shattering volume, have no idea what to think of the sight that just unfolded before their very eyes. Bronx Valescence, from the very top of the ladder, threw himself over and latched onto Ana’s head, pulling her free from the steel object and bringing them both down to the canvas with Ana’s head bouncing off. It’s surely a concussion if not worse. But the fans can only think of one thing to implore their champion to do. And so over and over again they chant.

“CLIMB BRONX CLIMB! CLIMB BRONX CLIMB! CLIMB BRONX CLIMB!”

VASSA: “FORGET ABOUT CLIMBING YOU FUCKING MONGRELS SOMEONE CHECK ON THEIR HEALTH!”

The voices of the fans seem to reach their beloved champion, though, as he stirs. Sitting up he glances over at his fallen friend with a look of concern that morphs into sheer horror. What in god’s name had he done in order to make sure he could retain the 4CW Championship? And yet still the fans implored him.

“CLIMB BRONX CLIMB! CLIMB BRONX CLIMB! CLIMB BRONX CLIMB!”

A glance upward toward the rafters helped him to spot the shimmering golden prize above his head. The ladder remained where it had been just a little while earlier when he had cast thought and caution to the wind. With a nod of his head he rolled himself over onto his hands and knees and pushed himself up. Briefly he stumbled before catching himself and taking a deep breath of air into his lungs. The ladder was only a few feet away. All he had to do was get there and climb and the championship would be his.

“CLIMB BRONX CLIMB! CLIMB BRONX CLIMB! CLIMB BRONX CLIMB!”

Making his way to the ladder Bronx starts his ascent. The fans chanting getting louder as he takes each step up slowly. Moments pass by agonizingly as it seems to take Bronx forever just to muster the energy to go up one step. But Ana remains still, unmoving. Bronx, refusing to look at her, keeps his eyes on the prize and continues his climb. Step after energy sapping step until finally he reaches up and his finger tips graze the bottom of the belt. It swings away from his grasp teasingly, forcing him to climb up one more rung. With a heavy, anguished sigh, Bronx summons the strength to go up one more rung and then the title is in his grasp. Just as he’s about to reach to unhook it, the support underneath his feet gives way.

JOHNSON: “HOLY SHIT! Ana, somehow, just knocked the ladder out from underneath Bronx. BUT HE’S STILL CLINGING TO THE TITLE!”

Hanging suspended fifteen feet above the ring, Bronx Valescence clings to the 4CW Championship thats still attached to its hook. Ana, exhausted, drops to a knee and looks up at him in despair. She can’t put the ladder back underneath him to climb. He’ll just unhook the title. And then an idea strikes her. Summoning every ounce of energy she had remaining she grabbed the ladder and folded it shut and then used it as a weapon, driving it into the backside of Bronx like she was trying to peg him with it. Oh god that’s an awful image.

VASSA: “She’s trying to knock him free with the ladder but he’s still hanging on!”

Again, Ana drives the ladder upward, this time catching him with the top corner of the ladder hitting his ribcage. Pain rockets through the body of Bronx and suddenly he’s falling, tumbling downward. His body catches the ladder and he lands violently on top of it, with Ana caught underneath his weight and the ladder.

JOHNSON: “…… I…… someone… check on them…”

Silence falls across the arena for a few long moments before the body of Bronx Valescence moves and rolls over, revealing what nobody in the entire building had noticed up to that point, being so focused on the carnage in the ring.

VASSA: “HE’S GOT THE TITLE! BRONX HAS THE 4CW CHAMPIONSHIP IN HIS HANDS!!”

DING!!! DING!!! DING!!!

From his back, Bronx holds the 4CW Championship up for the world to see and the fans erupt with cheers. Coughing, Bronx rolls off of the ladder and lays right in the middle of the ring as Mike Powers announces the results as the Stranger Things theme song blares over the public address system.

Before the celebration can begin, however, movement at the top of the stage catches the eye of some of the fans as well as the commentatary team.

JOHNSON:“What the HELL!? This feels like Winter Wasteland all over again!”

VASSA:”He is the HOST of RetroGrade! He has every right to be out here.. THIS TIME!”

Emerging from the backstage area is, in fact, none other than Jason Cashe himself. Much like the PPV to end Twenty-Seventeen, he has once again made an appearance after an Astounding 4CW Title Match! With a smirk on his face he raises his hands together and claps a consistent, steady clap.

VASSA:”Maybe he just REALLY wants to congratulate the Champion? I figured at Wasteland, he was more directing his clap at Marquis..”

JOHNSON:“You and me both given their.. History. Yet here he is again, once again just smiling and slowly clapping. What is his point, does he even have one?”

Both Bronx and Hayden feeling the canvas across their entire bodies. The carnage left in the ring by the two great competitors. A Title match for the ages, MUCH better than the one Cashe last made his appearance known during. The clapping stops and his smile fades. Bronx music cuts off and a silence fills the arena. The lights dim as the big screen brightens with two words in bold lettering appears.

CROOKED KINGDOM

“Real Muthafucking G’s” by Easy E drops as the bass trembles throughout the arena. Fans on their feet, drained from cheering their voices out during the Main Event now find a second wind as Dakota Smith, Jair Hopkins, and Cyrus Riddle join Jason Cashe on the stage.

VASSA:“What… What is going on?! Why is Omerta and World$tar out here.. Together?!”

JOHNSON:“You could also look at this as Unstable and Omerta to be fair.”

VASSA:“Yeah if you wanted to be a dick about it! You need Ninja Loco if you want to talk Unstable, he was key!”

All of them were battered in their own right from matches earlier in the night. Dakota versus Viduus, Riddle in that Barbwire XTV Battle Royal and Hopkins did battle with AQ! Only Cashe really being close to 100% but all of them had their game faces on. This was no joke, no gimmick, no one off alliance. This was organized and planned. Seems so, they have a Graphic and everything already made for the screen. The four of them, a few of them limping. They head to the ring, fans reach out wanting to be apart of the moment. The cage still locked and sitting around the ring prevent them from entering but as they reach ringside, it begins to rise.

JOHNSON:“Very suspicious the cage rises as they get to ringside, wouldn’t you say?”

VASSA:“Omerta had connections to Perry Wallace but Jason Cashe would let you bite off his last nipple before he’d make friends with Wallace. Don’t listen to the rumors and bitterness of others, WASHE is NOT REAL!”

Yet the Cage lifting up away from the ring was very real. So real that Bronx and Hayden both notice and then see the four men now making their way into position to surround the ring. One on each side, Hopkins remaining at the entrance ramp and Cashe taking the far side. They were standing across from their respective partners, Omerta across from Omerta, World$tar across from World$tar but all of them united by this “Crooked Kingdom” still being displayed on the screens throughout the arena. The music blaring through chorus and verses of the theme song alike. The hesitation seems like slow motion as the four men stand watching Bronx and Ana inside the ring. Dakota Smith acts first, his maniacal rage bursting from anticipation. The rest of the squad follow suit, all climbing up through the ropes or rolling under them, whichever their preferred means of entering the ring was.

JOHNSON:“What message are they going to send here?”

VASSA:“They’re hitting the ring THICK like a big dick in a small Vagina, breaking the walls down like their thrust was named Katrina!”

Cyrus yanks Bronx to his feet and cranks him into an Abdominal Stretch as Dakota rushes into the far ropes. Springing off in a limping sprint, he lunges and connects with a crushing Yakuza Kick. Bronx collapses as does Dakota, almost on top of Bronx. Dakota reaches for his leg savoring it. He then drags himself closer to Bronx, grabbing his head by the ears pulling it towards him. Dakota then licks Bronx’s cheek in a perverse manner, all while laughing in very unnerving fashion…Ana reaches up, grabbing Riddle but as he pulls free of her grasp, Jason Cashe grabs her arm looking to help her to her feet. A softness in his eyes he was showing remorse but as she got to one knee, Jason Cashe slobber of gug gugged all over his index finger before shoving it into Ana’s ear and twirling it around.

JOHNSON:“I believe that’s called a Wet Willy.”

VASSA: “Yup! You are correct!”

Ana shoves away, disgusted at the wetness now layer in and on her ear but before she can get to her feet, Jair Hopkins slid in behind her like it was a DM. Taking the arm Cashe had been holding and throwing a leg behind her head. Cashe takes a few steps back and flies in with a Superman Elbow or as he calls it the “Mark of JASON” and in that connection to her face, Hopkins snaps her back with a Leg Drop DDT.

VASSA:”GEEZUS! Is it me or is the Retro Stars of 4CW looking to return to the Present? We’ve got Omerta, we’ve got World$tar and they are UNITING here tonight!”

JOHNSON:“As this.. Crooked Kingdom..”

Dakota boots the ladder out from the ring as the 3 Hall of Famers and Riddle linger around the ring, standing tall as both Bronx and Ana lay half in and half out of consciousness from their battle and the assault. The celebration of a GRAND Event crashed and spoiled by those considered most retro in 4CW.

JOHNSON: “This is disgusting! This is uncalled for! All of these men should know better. They’ve all been in this situation before. Hell, most of them were in this situation earlier this evening.”

VASSA: “I can’t say I’m a fan of it either but you’ve got to strike while the iron hot and this crooked kingdom saw the opportunity to make the biggest impact now, after a hellacious main event.”

JOHNSON: “Bronx and Ana just put each other through hell in back. They were in no position to defend themselves!”

VASSA: “And yet I doubt Cashe, Dakota, Riddle or Jair care about that? This was about making a statement, and a statement was made.”

JOHNSON: “A coward’s statement, completely unlike the one both Bronx and Ana made here this very evening in a hell of a main event.”

VASSA: “It was the perfect way to cap off one hell of a show that started out with Freedumb and Danny Gordy.”

JOHNSON: “In spite of this ‘shock’ ending it really was a good show. Even Octane had a good showing in the first live match of the night between Bryan Laughlin and Kaz Bonham. Somehow that quirky little cheerleader girl overcame the monster king again.”

VASSA: “And Andre Holmes was able to pick up a victory to close this chapter of his rivalry with Alexis Mercer. You have to wonder if there’s another one in the books for those two or if they’re ready to move on to better and brighter things.”

JOHNSON: “Not to mention finally, after a year, Ally Gregory and Genevie Carlson went toe to toe. And though Genie didn’t get to be the first to beat Ally, she earned a resounding win and handed the new mother the second loss of her career.”

VASSA: “Octane continued their good showing as, somehow, Cosmo and Jeb retained. Fucking hippie and Peckerman’s lost son. I don’t know how they could manage to beat TWO teams from Adrenaline. But alas, it happened.”

JOHNSON: “In what was easily the most violent match of the evening, Viduus Morta shoveled another heap of dirt on the butchers grave. Though it seems like Dakota managed to set his sights on something greater to close the evening out.”

VASSA: “How about Hops, though? Fan favorite for so long. Earning a hard fought victory over Alessandro Quagliaterre, only to come out here and show his true colors. Someone’s merchandise is going to be on eBay real soon.”

JOHNSON: “In spite of how things have come to a close, I have to say this was a fantastic pay per view from top to bottom. Quality matches the whole way through.”

VASSA: “Bronx and Ana gave us the cherry on top that all of us were hoping for.”

JOHNSON: “And it’s one to one between them now. There’s got to be a part three to this tory doesn’t there? You can’t just stop after the Empire Strikes Back. We need return of the Jedi.”

VASSA: “And maybe we’ll get it at South Beach Brawl. Or maybe not. Who knows.”